Venous thromboembolism in patients with Cushing's syndrome: need of a careful investigation of the prothrombotic risk profile.

A high incidence of venous thromboembolic (VTE) complications has been reported in Cushing's syndrome (CS), mostly post-operatively and attributable to hypercoagulability. The prevalence of symptomatic VTE was investigated retrospectively in 58 consecutive CS patients in relation to acquired and genetic thrombotic risk factors. Eight CS patients (14 %) developed VTE (group A), 3 of them related and 5 unrelated to surgery. These patients had higher urinary free cortisol (p = 0.01) and VWF levels (p = 0.02) than the 50 patients without VTE (group B), as well an increase in the hemostatically more efficient, high-molecular-weight VWF multimers (p = 0.002). Factor V Leiden and the prothrombin gene 20210A variants (the most common inherited thrombophilic defects) were more represented in group A than in group B, as was the genotype GCAG/GCAG of the VWF gene promoter, known to hyperinduce VWF upregulation under cortisol excess. All but one of the patients with VTE unrelated to surgery had at least four acquired and at least one inherited risk factor. Severe hypercortisolism and VWF levels with increased haemostatic activity are strongly associated with VTE in CS. VTE episodes unrelated to surgery are attributable to the synergistic action of acquired and inherited thrombotic risk factors. Based on these observations, we believe that severely affected CS patients should be screened for coagulation disorders and receive antithrombotic prophylaxis whenever they have concomitant prothrombotic risk factors.

[Femoral and humeral head osteonecrosis in a patient with hypofibrinolysis and hyperhomocysteinemia. A case report and a review of the literature]. / Osteonecrosi delle teste femorali ed omerali in un paziente con ipofibrinolisi e iperomocisteinemia. Descrizione del caso e revisione della letteratura.

Osteonecrosis is a disease characterized by the death of marrow and bone tissues. All bones may be affected, most commonly those of the hip, knee, shoulder, ankle as well as the small bones of the hands and feet. When the disease involves a weight-bearing joint there is a significant risk that subarticular fracture may develop leading to disabling arthrosis and requiring, therefore, arthroplasty surgery. Osteonecrosis typically affects patients in their third, fourth and fifth decades of life and is associated with many factors including other diseases and co-morbidities. Multifocal osteonecrosis is defined according to the involvement of at least three separated anatomic sites. We describe the case of a young man with osteonecrosis of the shoulder and hip joints which required total arthroplasty. Among biochemical investigations, an increase in the plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1 (PAI-1) levels associated with mild hyperhomocysteinemia was present. Another finding was the HLA B27, without signs of spondyloarthropathies. In patients with osteonecrosis, especially if multifocal, a careful medical history, a complete physical examination and some biochemical investigations, particularly those related to thrombophilia and hypofibrinolysis, should be performed.

Re-evaluation of the therapeutic efficacy of DDAVP in type IIB von Willebrand's disease.

With few exceptions, 1-desamino-8-D-arginine vassopressin (DDAVP) has been shown to be useful in securing haemostasis in patients with von Willebrand's disease (vWd). In type IIB vWd, DDAVP has been reported to have no beneficial effects and to be contraindicated because it causes or worsens thrombocytopenia, due to in vivo platelet aggregation. Nevertheless, it was previously demonstrated that DDAVP may have clinical utility in some patients with type IIB vWd. Additional findings obtained in seven type IIB vWd patients of different kindreds undergoing minor surgical procedures are now reported. It was observed that DDAVP corrected the bleeding time in every case, with effects lasting for 2 h. Mean platelet counts decreased 30 min after DDAVP to variable degrees, depending on the anticoagulant used for blood collection, but were normal 2 h later. Furthermore DDAVP normalized FVIII, von Willebrand factor (vWf) antigen (vWf:Ag), and to a lesser extent, vWf ristocetin cofactor activity (vWf:RCoF). Intermediate and large vWf multimers appeared after 30 min. There were no bleeding complications during or after surgery, nor evidence of thrombosis. It was thus confirmed that DDAVP has clinical utility in the prevention of bleeding symptoms in different type IIB vWd patients. Therefore, despite the transitory thrombocytopenia and the incomplete restoration of larger vWf multimers, the use of this drug should be reconsidered for patients with type IIB vWd.

Report on a 3-year follow-up zidovudine (AZT) treatment in a group of HIV-positive patients with congenital clotting disorders.

Eleven (50%) of 22 HIV-seropositive patients suffering from congenital coagulation defects and followed at the Hemophilia Center of Padua met the eligibility criteria for zidovudine (AZT) therapy. A 3-year clinical and laboratory follow up is described. Mean length of AZT treatment was 14.3 +/- 11 months. Three patients were enrolled at the latest stages (CDC stage IV) of HIV disease. They showed no clinical improvement after AZT administration and died with AIDS. One CDC stage III patient died from a high-grade non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) which suddenly developed 3 months after starting AZT. Seven patients began antiretroviral treatment when they were mild or asymptomatic for HIV infection (CDC stage II and III). None developed any sign of HIV disease progression on the basis of CDC criteria. Moreover, AZT administration induced an improvement of the humoral markers related to HIV disease, as CD4 T-lymphocyte count, serum beta 2-microglobulin (B2M) and, although only for few months, neopterin (Np) levels. A mild thrombocytopenia due to HIV infection was detected in 5 patients. In all cases AZT treatment was effective in increasing and/or normalizing the platelet count. Reduced daily dose AZT (600-500 mg/day) appeared to be well tolerated and of minimal toxicity as compared to the higher dose (1200 mg/day). In our study, the zidovudine-induced bone marrow suppression, namely severe anemia or pancytopenia, was the major side-effect limiting tolerance of the higher dose AZT.

Bleeding as a cause of death in HIV-seropositive patients with congenital clotting disorders.

The causes of death in a group of HIV-seropositive patients suffering from congenital clotting disorders (cCD) were studied. During the past 6 years, we have followed 19 patients with cCD and HIV infection. Eight patients fulfilled revised CDC criteria for AIDS, 6 subjects reached stage III of CDC, and 5 remained asymptomatic (CDC stage II). All patients who developed AIDS died. In 5 patients, the terminal cause of death was a severe haemorrhage (hematemesis, melena or haemoptysis) after gastrointestinal or lung opportunistic infections. Two other patients died as a consequence of disseminated infections but without significant bleeding. Only one subject died due to neoplastic disease. In the first stages of CDC (II and III), no increase in bleeding symptoms were seen in cCD HIV infected patients. The risk of haemorrhages is, however, increased in AIDS patients. Adequate replacement therapy should be started early whenever severe opportunistic infections appear.

The fibrinolytic potential in patients with Cushing's disease: a clue to their hypercoagulable state.

The aim of our study was to determine the fibrinolytic potential in a large group of patients with Cushing's disease. These patients had a significant shortening of the activated partial thromboplastin time and increase in factor VIII/von Willebrand factor complex compared to normal controls. The mean levels of plasminogen, tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) antigen and plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI) activity were significantly higher than in normal subjects, whereas the basal fibrinolytic activity was similar to that seen in the control group. In 17 out of 30 Cushing patients and in 17 normal subjects the fibrinolytic potential was determined with the venous occlusion test. In the Cushing group, the release of t-PA antigen after 20 min of venous occlusion was comparable to that observed in the control group. However, Cushing patients showed a lower fibrinolytic activity than normal subjects, since a lesser shortening of the euglobulin lysis time and a non-significant rise of plasminogen activator activity levels were found. Moreover, in these patients the PAI activity values remained unchanged and significantly increased after venous occlusion test also. In conclusion, the impaired fibrinolytic activation seen in Cushing patients after venous occlusion can be explained by the inhibitory effect of the high PAI levels on plasminogen activators. The defective fibrinolytic potential could further contribute to the hypercoagulable state in Cushing's disease. High PAI levels before surgery may represent an additional risk factor for post-surgical thromboembolic complications in Cushing patients.

Portal vein thrombosis in a patient with severe haemophilia A and post-hepatitis liver cirrhosis.

The occurrence of a portal vein thrombosis in a haemophilia A patient is reported. The patient, a 53 year old male, had been followed by us for the past 20 years in our out-patient Clinic. He was hospitalized recently for a suspected hepatic cirrhosis. Severe ascites, hepato-splenomegaly together with weight loss and mild fever were present. During the hospitalization, an ultrasound and CT scan of the liver confirmed the cirrhotic pattern and showed the presence of a portal vein thrombosis. There were no changes in the underlying coagulation defect, in fact, the patient had recurrent haemarthrosis. Furthermore, with the ultrasound examination, some focal hepatic lesions--probably due to a hepatocellular carcinoma--were also observed. The patient died because of massive haematemesis due to rupture of oesophageal varices.

Rhinophyma-like cryptococcal infection as an early manifestation of AIDS in a hemophilia B patient.

A hemophilia B patient, seropositive for HIV antibodies since 1984, came to us in March 1989 with a severe necrotizing lesion of the nose. It was an erythematous lesion and looked like rhinophyma. Microbiological examination of the skin biopsy showed the presence of Cryptococcus neoformans. At the time of the study, the patient was in partial remission after 2 weeks of therapy with fluconazole per os 400 mg/day. He will be treated with the same therapy at maintenance dose (200 mg/day) for a long period.