Multiple foci of cerebral ischemia in cancer patients with secondary antiphospholipid syndrome

Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is associated with systemic organ and tissue damage, arterial and venous thrombosis, including in the central nervous system, and the occurrence of multiple ischemic areas. Primary APS occurs predominantly in young females and accounts for 20% of ischemic strokes in patients younger than 45 years. Secondary APS complicates several systemic diseases (systemic lupus erythematosus, lymphoproliferative diseases, HIV infection, etc.), and it can also develop in cancer patients. Multiple foci of cortical ischemia are most often detected by brain MRI in patients with APS. Laboratory tests usually show thrombocytopenia. Thromboses of other localizations are also often detected in patients. APS can be confirmed by detecting a high titer of phospholipid antibodies in blood. The paper presents three clinical cases of multiple cerebral ischemia in patients with a secondary APS and a cancer history, as well as a brief review of current publications on this issue.