Compensated activation of coagulation in patients with abdominal aortic aneurysm: effects of heparin treatment prior to elective surgery.

Elective surgery of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) sometimes leads to excessive bleeding and disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC), even in patients with normal preoperative coagulation parameters. Coagulation screen, performed routinely before surgery is of limited value in the assessment of compensated activation of the haemostatic system. In this study, we used a number of additional tests (D-dimer, prothrombin fragment 1+2, antithrombin, and activation of fibrinolysis in the platelet poor plasma) for the diagnosis of compensated activation of the haemostatic system in AAA-patients.

Sneddon's syndrome (livedo reticularis and cerebrovascular lesions) with antiphospholipid antibodies and severe dementia in young man: a case report.

We present the case of 37-year-old man with Sneddon's syndrome and antiphospholipid antibodies. His chief neurological manifestation was rapidly progressive dementia, which developed 6 years after the appearance of livedo reticularis.

[Diagnostic antiphospholipid antibodies and their clinical significance].

Lupus anticoagulant and anticardiolipin antibodies belong to a heterogeneous family of antiphospholipid antibodies, directed probably against complexes composed of protein and negatively charged phospholipids. The antiphospholipid syndrome consists in the association of antiphospholipid antibodies and both venous and arterial occlusive events. The mechanism by which the antiphospholipid antibodies could induce thrombosis remains unclear.

[Anticardiolipin antibodies in patients with cerebral ischemia].

Six patients with high level of anticardiolipin antibodies were hospitalized for ischaemic strokes or transient ischaemic attacks. The clinical findings in these cases varied greatly. In three ischaemic episodes were recurrent.