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Table 1 Summary of clinical details for three groups of patients with aCL presenting with neurological events.

From: Cerebrovascular disease associated with antiphospholipid antibodies: more questions than answers

Demographics

Patients fulfilling Sapporo classification criteria

Group with transiently positive aCL

Group with low positive aCL

Number of patients

N = 26

N = 7

N = 12

Median age (years)

37.6 (6–63)

35.4 (16–51)

41.6 (19–59)

Number of episodes/patient

   

1

19

4

6

2

7

3

6

Clinical presentations

N = 33

N = 10

N = 18

Superior sagittal sinus thrombosis

1

1

-

Higher centre function loss

3

1

1

Left hemiparesis/paraesthesia

10

5

6

Right hemiparesis/paraesthesia

6

-

2

Brainstem/cerebellar symptoms

5

-

5

Loss of consciousness/seizures

4

-

1

Fluent aphasia, right facial weakness

1

-

-

Bilateral cerebral infarction

-

1

-

Cranial nerve palsies

1

2

1

Right homonymous hemianopia

1

-

1

Transient ischaemic attacks

1

-

1

Radiological findings

N = 26

N = 7

N = 12

No abnormalities on CT or MRI scan

2

3

6

Left middle/posterior cerebral artery territory infarction

4

-

2

Right middle/posterior cerebral artery territory infarction

4

-

-

Low density area (left temporal lobe)

2

-

-

Increased signal cerebral deep white matter

3

1

2

Pontine/cerebellar infarction

2

1

1

Multiple cerebral infarcts

9

-

1

Superior sagittal sinus thrombosis

-

1

-

Bilateral narrowing of carotid syphons

-

1

-

Antiphospholipid studies:

   

IgM aCL

6 moderate -high positive

-

3 low positive

IgG aCL

18 moderate -high positive

1 low positive, 1 moderate positive

6 low positive, 3 moderate positive

Lupus anticoagulant KCT

9

4

2

Lupus anticoagulant DRVVT

9

6

2

Low to moderate IgG anti-β2GP1antibodies

7/12 (data incomplete)

1 low positive

1 low positive

Risk factors for vascular disease

   

Hypercholesterolaemia

3

-

4

Hypertension

4

1

3

Tobacco use

3

2

3

Oral contraceptive pill/hormone replacement therapy

6

-

1

Pregnancy/post-partum period

2

1

-

Heterozygosity for factor V Leiden mutation

 

1

-

Long term warfarin

19

2

-

Warfarin (six months)

-

1

1

Low dose aspirin

6

4

10

Clopidogrel/ticlopidine

1

-

1