Lupus & antiphospholipid syndrome
High burden and unique pattern of cerebral small vessel disease in antiphospholipid syndrome: MRI subtypes and risk profile in a large cohort
Authors' conclusion
cSVD is a common feature in patients with APS and often occurs in the absence of neurological manifestations.
Study context
- Population
- Patients with antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) and age- and sex-matched healthy controls132 APS patients
- Exposure
- APS vs age- and sex-matched healthy controls
- APSn = 132
- Outcome
- Burden and MRI subtypes of cerebral small vessel disease (cSVD; lacunes, EPVS, microbleeds, WMH; total cSVD score 0-4)
Methodological detailsage- and sex-matched healthy controls, logistic regression adjusted for age, sex and disease duration
- Age- and sex-matched healthy controls
- Logistic regression adjusted for age, sex and disease duration
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
cSVD in APS
| Group | Value | Lacunes | White matter hyperintensities (WMH) | Enlarged perivascular spaces (EPVS) | Microbleeds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| APS | 51.5% | 46.2% | 16.7% | 14.4% | 12.1% |
APS
Value51.5%
Lacunes46.2%
White matter hyperintensities (WMH)16.7%
Enlarged perivascular spaces (EPVS)14.4%
Microbleeds12.1%
- History of stroke
- 24.2%
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Factors independently associated with cerebral small vessel disease (cSVD) in APS
| OR (95% CI) | P value | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| HypertensionAdjusted for age, sex, and disease duration | 3.69 (1.17–11.65) | P = 0.026 | |
| Prior thrombosisAdjusted for age, sex, and disease duration | 22.15 (2.11–232.27) | P = 0.010 | |
| Prior strokeAdjusted for age, sex, and disease duration | 10.71 (2.47–46.36) | P = 0.002 | |
| 0.050.21520Odds ratio (log scale) |
- Subclinical cSVD in APS without neurological symptoms
- 34.8%
Factors independently associated with cSVD in APS
- Individual aPL profiles not independently associated with cSVD
Original publication
High burden and unique pattern of cerebral small vessel disease in antiphospholipid syndrome: MRI subtypes and risk profile in a large cohort. Lupus. Published 29 September 2026. doi:10.
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