• Mark P Plummer, Young Adam M H AMH Neurosciences and Trauma Critical Care Unit, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, University Hospitals, Cambridge, CB2 0QQ, UK., Ronan O'Leary, Maxwell S Damian, and Andrea Lavinio.
• Neurosciences and Trauma Critical Care Unit, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, University Hospitals, Cambridge, CB2 0QQ, UK. mark.philip.plummer@gmail.com.
• Neurocrit Care. 2018 Feb 1; 28 (1): 127-132.

BackgroundCatastrophic antiphospholipid syndrome (CAPS) is a rare, severe variant of antiphospholipid syndrome with a high mortality rate. We report a unique case of CAPS secondary to Epstein-Barr viral (EBV) infection complicated by pulmonary and intracerebral hemorrhage. A review of the CAPS literature relevant to intensive care practice is used to outline a rational approach to diagnosis and management.MethodsAll data are from a single patient admitted to the Neurosciences Critical Care Unit in Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, in March 2016. Medline, Web of Science, PubMed, and the Cochrane Library were searched through September 2016 without restrictions for cases of CAPS, management of CAPS in the intensive care unit, and hemorrhage complicating CAPS. The patient gave express written consent to access and publish these data.ResultsThis is only the second reported case of probable CAPS secondary to EBV infection. Furthermore, pulmonary and intracerebral hemorrhage is rare manifestations of this multisystem prothrombotic state which provided unique challenges to the management.ConclusionsWhile rare, CAPS should be considered in any patient presenting with rapidly progressive multiorgan failure, evidence of thrombotic microangiopathy, and antiphospholipid antibodies. A high index of suspicion is required as early, aggressive, multimodal treatment with anticoagulation, and immunosuppression improves outcomes.

14 keywords...

hide…