PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Aldaajani, Hana
AU  - Albahrani, Salma
AU  - Saleh, Khalid
AU  - Alghanim, Khawla
TI  - Bilateral adrenal hemorrhage in antiphospholipid syndrome
AID  - 10.15537/smj.2018.8.22437
DP  - 2018 Aug 01
TA  - Saudi Medical Journal
PG  - 829--833
VI  - 39
IP  - 8
4099  - http://smj.org.sa/content/39/8/829.short
4100  - http://smj.org.sa/content/39/8/829.full
SO  - Saudi Med J2018 Aug 01; 39
AB  - A 43-year-old man with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis and previous thromboembolic events treated with warfarin for 6 months, presented with right flank pain accompanied with vomiting, dizziness, and altered mental status 2 weeks after discontinuation of warfarin. His clinical examination findings were unremarkable. Routine blood work showed lymphopenia, thrombocytopenia, and hypoosmolar hyponatremia. Random serum cortisol level was low (14 nmol/L). Computed tomography scan of the abdomen revealed bilateral bulky heterogeneous suprarenal gland surrounded by fat stranding representing adrenal hemorrhage. He was treated for acute adrenal crisis and subsequently started on hydrocortisone and fludrocortisone, with significant clinical improvement. His diagnosis was secondary antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) to systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Bilateral adrenal thrombosis lead to hemorrhage in the adrenals as a paradoxical effect after warfarin cessation and primarily caused by APS. Bilateral adrenal bleeding should lead to the suspicion of thrombophilic disorders, such as APS, with cautious anticoagulation as the treatment of choice