Catastrophic antiphospholipid syndrome: litterature review and case report
- Authors
-
-
Houda Ben Soltane
faculty of medicine of sousse
-
rebeh baazaoui
faculty of medicine of sousse
-
-
fatma Lihiou
faculty of medicine of sousse
-
mariem khrouf
faculty of medicine of sousse
-
anis haj hassine
faculty of medicine of sousse
-
fatma Kacem
faculty of medicine of sousse
-
zied mezgar
faculty of medicine of sousse
-
- Keywords:
- Catastrophic antiphospholipid syndrome, thrombosis, microcirculation, autoimmune
- Abstract
-
Catastrophic antiphospholipid syndrome (CAPS) is a rare and life-threatening condition characterized by the simultaneous occurrence of multiple thrombotic events, predominantly affecting the microcirculation. We present a case report of CAPS in a 55-year-old male patient with no notable pathological history who presented with diffuse abdominal pain and subsequently developed neurological and renal manifestations. This case report is complemented by a comprehensive literature review of CAPS, highlighting its epidemiology, clinical manifestations, diagnostic criteria, and treatment options.
Our literature review included a thorough search of various databases and search engines, including PubMed/Medline, Google Scholar, and Cochrane, in both English and French languages. We adhered to patient data protection guidelines, ensuring confidentiality throughout the report.
CAPS is associated with a significant morbidity and mortality rate, with a high short-term mortality rate particularly in the acute phase. Prompt recognition and early initiation of treatment, such as the "Triple Therapy" approach involving intravenous heparin, oral anticoagulation, and corticosteroids, are crucial for improving patient outcomes. In refractory cases, Rituximab and Eculizumab have shown promise as alternative treatment options.
Our case report underscores the importance of timely diagnosis and appropriate management of CAPS. Further research and collaboration among healthcare professionals are warranted to enhance our understanding of this complex syndrome and improve patient care
- Author Biographies
- References
- Downloads
- Published
- 30-09-2025
- Section
- Case Reports
- License
-
Copyright (c) 2025 Tunisian Journal of Emergency Medicine

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
THE tjem allows authors to retain unrestricted copyright and full publishing rights of their articles.
All articles published in this journal are openly accessible and licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0). This guarantees that anyone is free to:
-
Share: Copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format.
-
Adapt: Remix, transform, and build upon the material for any purpose, even commercially.
Under the following terms:
-
Attribution: Users must give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the journal, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made.
By submitting a manuscript to tjem, authors grant the journal the right of first publication, while retaining full ownership of their intellectual property.
-
How to Cite
Similar Articles
- Rabeb Mbarek, Khouloud Hamdi, Sarra Soua, Hela Abroug, Sondes laajimi, haifa Bradai, Dorra Loghmari , Asma SRIHA, Semir Nouira, Prehospital Particularities of Covid-19 infection and factors associated with its severity during the omicron variant wave (East-center of Tunisia) , Tunisian Journal of Emergency Medicine: Vol. 2 No. 4 (2024): TJEM Vol2 Issue4
- hana kessentini, Dr Rim Karray, Dr Fedi Ben ali, Dr Haifa Snoussi, Dr Marwa Belalkhal, Dr Olfa Chakroun, Dr Noureddine Rekik, Spinal cord injury caused by stab wounds after a penetrating trauma: About 2 cases , Tunisian Journal of Emergency Medicine: Vol. 4 No. 1 (2026): TJEM VOL4 ISSUE1
- Samia Meherzi, Rihab Omri, Amin khbou , Rabiaa Kaddechi , Afifa CHARFI, Management of Bell palsy: our clinical practice guideline , Tunisian Journal of Emergency Medicine: Vol. 3 No. 1 (2025): TJEM 2025: Vol.3 Issue 1
- olfa DJEBBI, Can we predict the clinical scenario of acute heart failure based only on NT proBNP rate without using echocardiography? O. Djebbi 1, R. Jebri 1, H. Mahfoudhi 2, F. Aouini.2, M. Ben Abdellaziz.1, L. Lotfi.1, W. Fehri.2, K. Lamine 1. , Tunisian Journal of Emergency Medicine: Vol. 2 No. 3 (2023): TJEM Vol2 Issue3
- Mohamed Kilani, Khedija Zaouche, Manel Kallel , Emna Rezgui, Emna Kallel , Fedia El Ayech, Camilia Jeddi, Procedural sedation in the emergency department: a randomized trial of ketamine versus etomidate , Tunisian Journal of Emergency Medicine: Vol. 3 No. 3 (2025): TJEM 2025: Vol.3 Issue 3
You may also start an advanced similarity search for this article.
