National Organization for Rare Disorders, Inc.
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
- CAPS
- 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 Avenue
Eastpointe, MI 48021-2227
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: 2023491155
Fax: 2023491156
Tel: 8005580121
Email: info@lupus.org
Internet: http://www.lupus.org
National Stroke Association
9707 East Easter Lane
Englewood, CO 80112-3747
USA
Tel: 3036499299
Fax: 3036491328
Tel: 8007876537
Email: info@stroke.org
Internet: http://www.stroke.org
Antiphospholipid Antibody Support Group
Marvin Nelson
4228 Deer Path Road
Apex, NC 27539-7282
Tel: (919)362-8977
Internet: http://www.egroups.com/group/aplsuk
Autoimmune Information Network, Inc
PO Box 4121
Brick, NJ 08723
Tel: (732)262-0450
Fax: (732)262-0450
Email: autoimmunehelp@aol.com
Internet: http://www.aininc.org
APS Foundation of America, Inc
PO Box 801
624 North 10th Street
Suite 4
La Crosse, WI 54602-0801
Tel: (608)782-2626
Fax: (608)782-6569
Email: apsfa@apsfa.org
Internet: http://www.apsfa.org
National Alliance for Thrombosis and Thrombophilia
PO Box 66018
Washington, DC 20035
Tel: (860)376-3250
Fax: (614)293-2314
Email: nattinfo@yahoo.com
Internet: http://www.nattinfo.org
AutoImmunity Community
Tel: (919)-55-2-9057
Email: bandrews@autoimmunitycommunity.org
Internet: http://autoimmunitycommunity.orgFor a Complete Report
This is an abstract of a report from the National Organization for Rare Disorders, Inc. ® (NORD). A copy of the complete report can be obtained for a small fee by visiting the NORD website. The complete report contains additional information including symptoms, causes, affected population, related disorders, standard and investigational treatments (if available), and references from medical literature. For a full-text version of this topic, see http://www.rarediseases.org/search/rdblist.html
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:
Copyright 2007 National Organization for Rare Disorders, Inc.
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