Valve Morphology in Antiphospholipid Antibody Syndrome: Echocardiographic Features

Abstract

Primary antiphospholipid antibody (PAP) syndrome can present with a variety of clinical manifestations including cardiac valvular lesions. Prior reports of the valvular lesions associated with PAP have been nonspecific. The purpose of this paper is to present four cases of patients with documented PAP and demonstrate the characteristic transesophageal echocardiographic features. The primary feature is focal, symmetrical, nodular thickening at the leaflet's coaptation points.