Acute Ischemic Stroke as the Initial Manifestation of Antiphospholipid Syndrome After SARS-CoV-2 Infection in a 17-Year-Old Patient

TL;DR

A 17-year-old patient developed antiphospholipid syndrome after a SARS-CoV-2 infection, leading to a stroke and successful treatment with mechanical thrombolysis.

Contribution

This case highlights SARS-CoV-2 as a potential trigger for antiphospholipid syndrome in a young individual.

Findings

A young patient developed APS following SARS-CoV-2 infection.

The patient was successfully treated with mechanical thrombolysis.

APS was diagnosed 12 weeks after initial symptoms.

Abstract

Stroke is an unusual condition in young adults, but when it presents in this population, there are specific causes that differ from those in older adults. When this occurs, it is necessary to make an extensive assessment to establish a final diagnosis. One of these causes, as in the case presented, is antiphospholipid syndrome (APS), which can present as venous or arterial thrombosis. There are conditions that act as triggers for the formation of antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL) and the development of APS. This report illustrates these points by presenting a young patient who developed APS after a severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection that acted as a trigger, along with probable genetic susceptibility factors, and was diagnosed in accordance with guidelines 12 weeks after initial presentation. He was successfully treated with rescue mechanical thrombolysis, with favorable outcomes.

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