Valve Morphology in Antiphospholipid Antibody Syndrome: Echocardiographic Features

Abstract

Primary antiphospholipid antibody (PAP) syndrome can present with a variety of clinical manifestations including cardiac valvular lesions. Prior reports of the valvular lesions associated with PAP have been nonspecific. The purpose of this paper is to present four cases of patients with documented PAP and demonstrate the characteristic transesophageal echocardiographic features. The primary feature is focal, symmetrical, nodular thickening at the leaflet's coaptation points.

Antiphospholipid syndrome and the relationship between laboratory assay positivity and prevalence of non‐bacterial thrombotic endocarditis: A retrospective cohort study

“…Additionally, the varying screening methods may have a resulted in a delay in diagnosis for some patients, which could skew the results of the survival analysis. The patients diagnosed with NBTE in this cohort met clinical characteristics as described in previous publications from our institution and others,11,12,19 but echocardiographic manifestations ofAPS likely represent a spectrum of disease with NBTE being among the most severe manifestations. The echocardiogram images were not reviewed by the research team and it is possible that the initial cardiologist who reviewed a case may have missed subtle changes suggestive of NBTE, thus skewing the results.…”

Asherson Syndrome in a Woman: The Utility of Echocardiographic Study in its Diagnosis and Treatment

“…Treatment should be guided by a Hematologist since the patient may require intravenous corticosteroids, plasmapheresis and intravenous antibiotics in addition to the use of intravenous heparin [5]. and the most common echocardiographic abnormality is a focal or diffuse leaflet thickening accompanied by reduced leaflet mobility [4]. The extent of fibrosis may determine the degree of valve thickening as well as valve retraction or mobility.…”

Antiphospholipid syndrome and the heart: A case series and literature review

“…Tricuspid valve seems to be seldom affected [12]. Peculiarities of the nodular abnormalities at the coapting site of the leaflets are the focal localization and symmetry [28]. Vegetations may be present in up to 40% of the patients [12], are usually solitary but may be multiple.…”

“…Vegetations may be present in up to 40% of the patients [12], are usually solitary but may be multiple. They are irregular, predominantly thrombotic, but can be inflammatory or mixed, may be mobile or not, and change in appearance, resolve, or reappear over time [28][29][30]. Vegetations appear generally on the atrial surface of the mitral valve, while aortic valve vegetations have been described on both the ventricular and the vascular surface of the valve [31].…”