The APLS Affect on Blood Disorder Development

Millions of women each year are diagnosed with complications associated with an autoimmune disease. For most, the complications are attributed to lupus, fibromyalgia and even rheumatoid arthritis or chronic fatigue syndrome. For some women, however, the autoimmune complication may be associated with a rare condition known as antiphospholipid syndrome.

Antiphospholipid syndrome, also known as APLS or Hughes syndrome, is an autoimmune disease that complicates the clotting factors of the blood and most notably arises in women as a secondary complication to an autoimmune disease such as lupus. Because phospholipids are an essential part of clot formation, the development of antiphospholipid syndrome can result in significant complications associated with blood disorders in women.

Diagnosing the autoimmune disorder known as antiphospholipid syndrome commonly occurs when an infection, either bacterial or viral, results in the prolonged complications leading to a blood disorder. Once the autoimmune disease is set into motion, a plethora of bleeding complications may become a significant part of this condition. While APLS was long believed to be directly related to lupus, many women who suffer from APLS, today, are noted to have no connection to a lupus diagnosis whatsoever.

In addition to infection, the diagnosing of antiphospholipid syndrome may also come in the form of physical examination wherein the female sufferer may exhibit a marbelization appearance to the skin, especially around the knees. To this, the physician may also note a swelling of the lower calf area, commonly indicative of multiple blood clot formations. When laboratory work is ordered, the results may reveal the presence of lupus anticoagulant antibodies, commonly associated with the autoimmune disorder.