Vol.23 No.6

Case Report

Post-surgical hemorrhagic infarction of the adrenal gland as the first clinical manifestation of antiphospholipid syndrome after 43 years of antibody-positivity

Authors

Johanna Haselboeck1 , Helmut Ringl2 , Catharina Mueller3 , Ingrid Pabinger1 , Stefan Winkler3

  • Clinical Division of Haematology and Haemostaseology, Department of Medicine I, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
  • Department of Radiology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
  • Clinical Division of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, Department of Medicine I, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090 Vienna, Austria
Received:

12 April 2012

Accepted:

6 August 2012

Published online:

25 August 2012

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Abstract

We report on a male patient who tested positive for antiphospholipid antibodies for 43 years without thromboembolic manifestation of antiphospholipid syndrome (APS). He has been followed up in a prospective cohort study since 2001. Following his second hip replacement surgery, the patient developed acute adrenal failure due to bilateral hemorrhagic infarction. Prophylactic anticoagulation, surgery, or an immunological reaction to blood transfusion may have triggered this late and unusually located primary manifestation of APS in our patient.

Key words

Antiphospholipid syndrome, APS, Antiphospholipid antibodies, Acute adrenal failure