Lupus Anticoagulant as a Risk Factor for Cerebral Infarction and Habitual Abortions

A case involving a 34-year-old female with a progressive hemiparesis is described. She had a history of repeated spontaneous abortions. The CT and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed a multiple cerebral infarction. A 99mTc perfusion lung scintigram demonstrated diffuse bilateral perfusion defects in the lungs. The presence of lupus anticoagulant (LA) was detected from the laboratory data and the thrombosis in the genital organ. The repeated abortions were probably due to thrombosis in the placental vessels caused by LA. High dose steroid therapy was effective in suppressing the LA activity and in preventing progression of the clinical symptoms.