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Asherson's Syndrome

Important
It is possible that the main title of the report Asherson's Syndrome is not the name you expected. Please check the synonyms listing to find the alternate name(s) and disorder subdivision(s) covered by this report.

Synonyms

Catastrophic Antiphospholipid Syndrome

Disorder Subdivisions

None

General Discussion

Asherson's syndrome is an extremely rare autoimmune disorder characterized by the development, over a period of hours, days or weeks, of rapidly progressive blood clots affecting multiple organ systems of the body. Conditions such as infections, immunizations, wounds caused due to physical trauma and failure in the anticoagulation mechanism of the body usually act as "triggers".

The syndrome is particularly common among patients with antiphospholipid syndrome who experience a cessation of the anticoagulation mechanism rleated to recurrent bleeding in the body. It is usually seen in patients who have previously suffered from a simple/classic episode of antiphospholipid syndrome. It is not known why patients of antiphospholipid syndrome often have the tendency to be "catapulted" into a serious or fatal multiorgan failure, while the same triggers in other individuals may only result in recurrent large vessel thrombosis. The symptoms are also aptly observed in patients during pregnancy or in the weeks after childbirth (puerperium) and may follow the HELLP syndrome or be associated with malignancies. Symptoms vary from case to case depending upon the specific organ systems involved. Asherson's syndrome can rapidly result in life-threatening multiorgan failure.

Asherson's syndrome is a severe variant of antiphospholipid syndrome (APS), an autoimmune disorder in which blood clots occur in relation to the presence of antiphospholipid antibodies in the body. Antibodies are specialized proteins produced by the body's immune system to fight infection. In autoimmune disorders, antibodies mistakenly attack healthy tissue. In APS and Asherson's syndrome, antibodies mistakenly attack certain proteins that bind to phospholipids, which are fat molecules that are involved in the proper function of cell membranes. Phospholipids are found throughout the body. The reason these antibodies attack these proteins and the process by which they cause blood clots to form is not known.

Asherson's syndrome may occur in individuals who have primary or secondary APS or in individuals with lupus or other autoimmune disorders. In some cases, no previous history of these disorders may be present. The exact cause of Asherson's syndrome is unknown.

Resources

American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association, Inc.
22100 Gratiot Ave.
East Detroit, MI 48021
Tel: (586)776-3900
Fax: (586)776-3903
Tel: (800)598-4668
Email: aarda@aarda.org
Internet: http://www.aarda.org/

Lupus Foundation of America, Inc.
2000 L Street NW
Suite 710
Washington, DC 20036
USA
Tel: (202)349-1155
Fax: (202)349-1156
Tel: (800)558-0121
Email: info@lupus.org
Internet: http://www.lupus.org

National Stroke Association
9707 E. Easter Lane
Suite B
Centennial, CO 80112
USA
Tel: (303)649-9299
Fax: (303)649-1328
Tel: (800)787-6537
Email: info@stroke.org
Internet: http://www.stroke.org

Antiphospholipid Antibody Support Group
4228 Deer Path Road
Apex, NC 27539-7282
Tel: (919)362-8977
Internet: http://www.egroups.com/group/aplsuk

Genetic and Rare Diseases (GARD) Information Center
PO Box 8126
Gaithersburg, MD 20898-8126
Tel: (301)251-4925
Fax: (301)251-4911
Tel: (888)205-2311
TDD: (888)205-3223
Internet: http://rarediseases.info.nih.gov/GARD/AboutGARD.aspx

Autoimmune Information Network, Inc
PO Box 4121
Brick, NJ 08723
Tel: (732)664-9259
Fax: (732)543-7285
Email: autoimmunehelp@aol.com
Internet: http://www.aininc.org

APS Foundation of America
PO Box 801
La Crosse, WI 54602-0801
Tel: (608)782-2626
Fax: (608)782-6569
Email: apsfa@apsfa.org
Internet: http://www.apsfa.org

National Blood Clot Alliance
120 White Plains Road
Suite 100
Tarrytown, NY 10591
Tel: (914)220-5040
Tel: (877)466-2568
Email: info@stoptheclot.org
Internet: http://www.stoptheclot.org/index.htm

AutoImmunity Community
Tel: (919) 552-9057
Email: moderator@autoimmunitycommunity.org
Internet: http://www.autoimmunitycommunity.org

Venous Disease Coalition
1075 S. Yukon Street, Suite 320
Suite 320
Lakewood, CO 80226
Tel: (303)989-0500
Fax: (303)989-0200
Tel: (888)833-4463
Email: info@venousdiseasecoalition.org
Internet: http://www.venousdiseasecoalition.org

For a Complete Report:

This is an abstract of a report from the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD). A copy of the complete report can be downloaded free from the NORD website for registered users. The complete report contains additional information including symptoms, causes, affected population, related disorders, standard and investigational therapies (if available), and references from medical literature. For a full-text version of this topic, go to www.rarediseases.org and click on Rare Disease Database under "Rare Disease Information".

The information provided in this report is not intended for diagnostic purposes. It is provided for informational purposes only. NORD recommends that affected individuals seek the advice or counsel of their own personal physicians.
It is possible that the title of this topic is not the name you selected. Please check the Synonyms listing to find the alternate name(s) and Disorder Subdivision(s) covered by this report
This disease entry is based upon medical information available through the date at the end of the topic. Since NORD's resources are limited, it is not possible to keep every entry in the Rare Disease Database completely current and accurate. Please check with the agencies listed in the Resources section for the most current information about this disorder.
For additional information and assistance about rare disorders, please contact the National Organization for Rare Disorders at P.O. Box 1968, Danbury, CT 06813-1968; phone (203) 744-0100; web site www.rarediseases.org or email orphan@rarediseases.org
Last Updated: �4/10/2007
Copyright �2007�National Organization for Rare Disorders, Inc.

WebMD Medical Reference from the National Organization of Rare Disorders

Last Updated: May 16, 2012

This information is not intended to replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise disclaims any liability for the decisions you make based on this information.