Patients with antiphospholipid syndrome are at increased risk for recurrent arterial and venous thrombosis and therefore benefit from long term warfarin therapy. The optimal duration of warfarin therapy after a first venous thromboembolic event is however a matter of some controversy and many questions remain unanswered. After reviewing and analysing the available evidence, we discuss some common scenarios in everyday clinical practice where treatment decisions are difficult.

Iron deficiency anemia (IDA) is commonly associated with reactive thrombocytosis, but thrombocytopenia is relatively uncommon and generally associated with more severe IDA. Even more rarely described has been thrombocytopenia following iron replacement therapy to treat IDA, and the underlying mechanism remains unclear. The authors present the case of a patient with severe IDA, who developed thrombocytopenia after the initiation of iron therapy. An analysis is made of all the previous reports of similar cases, to compare and start on the path of understanding this rare entity.

Expatriate communities deserve enhanced surveillance for the health issues that affect them. This will improve evidence-based preparation and intervention by public and travel health practitioners.

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