Large-vessel thrombotic stroke in a patient with rheumatoid arthritis and lupus anticoagulant

Abstract

The association of ischemic stroke and antiphospholipid antibodies (APA) has now been reported in a large number of patients. Most such patients had systemic lupus erythematosus or no underlying disease. We now report a patient with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and APA who developed an acute stroke. Although the association of APA with RA is not uncommon, acute stroke has very rarely been reported. The paucity of strokes in such patients may possibly be secondary to the common practice of using aspirin in such patients.