Along with AIDS, antiphospholipid syndrome was the major medical discovery of the late 20th century, so for many it is still deemed a ‘new’ disease. The discovery of ‘sticky blood’ (commonly known as antiphospholipid syndrome or ‘Hughes Syndrome’) came out of years of observation of patients who had developed lupus. Many specialists in the 1970s were interested in the neurological aspects of lupus, and Dr Hughes, among others, spent a number of years studying the mechanisms of brain inflammation. In the mid 1970s, Hughes observed a number of young women with a form of viral paralysis, where interestingly many of them carried an antibody in their blood actually directed against ‘phospholipid’ – one of the components of brain and spinal cord. It quickly became apparent that individuals who had "anti-phospholipid antibodies" suffered from a tendency not only to develop brain and spinal cord symptoms, but also a tendency to develop both vein and artery thrombosis. As investigation continued it became apparent that these symptoms were not just confined to lupus patients, but occurred in others too, specifically those with severe migraines, with repeated strokes, with memory loss, and in women with recurrent miscarriage.
Author(s): Graham R.V. Hughes MD, FRCP (auth.), Graham R. V. Hughes (eds.)
Edition: 1st Edition. 2nd Printing.
Publisher: Springer London
Year: 2009
Language: English
Pages: 88
Tags: Popular Science in Medicine and Health; Rheumatology; Neurology; Obstetrics/Perinatology
Front Matter....Pages i-xiv
Front Matter....Pages 1-1
Late for the Wedding....Pages 2-3
Falling Over....Pages 4-5
Diplomatic Epilepsy....Pages 6-7
Weak Legs....Pages 8-9
“Multiple Sclerosis” ……....Pages 10-11
Teenage Migraine……....Pages 12-13
Getting Only Half the Picture....Pages 14-15
Difficult Crossword Puzzles……....Pages 16-17
Playing the Wrong Notes……....Pages 18-19
Speaking Gibberish……....Pages 20-21
I Lost My Sense of Smell……....Pages 22-22
Movement, Jerks and Twitches……....Pages 23-24
Mad Cow Disease……....Pages 25-25
St. Vitus Dance……....Pages 26-27
Parkinson's Disease……....Pages 28-28
Missing the Target……....Pages 29-30
The Headmistress Who Forgot……....Pages 31-32
“Personality Disorder” in a 4-Year-Old ……....Pages 33-33
To Sleep … Perchance to Dream....Pages 34-35
Front Matter....Pages 37-37
The Lung....Pages 38-39
Front Matter....Pages 37-37
The Skin....Pages 40-41
The Liver....Pages 42-42
The Heart....Pages 43-43
Backpacking in Australia....Pages 44-45
Short of Breath in Scandinavia……....Pages 46-46
The Blood....Pages 47-47
The Adrenal Glands....Pages 48-48
The Digestive System....Pages 49-49
The Reproductive System....Pages 50-50
The Limbs....Pages 51-51
Pain in the Foot (“Toelitis”)....Pages 52-53
Ear, Nose and Throat....Pages 54-55
The Kidneys....Pages 56-56
“Multi-System Failure” The computer has crashed.....Pages 57-58
Front Matter....Pages 59-59
Eleven Miscarriages....Pages 60-60
Late Pregnancy Tragedy……....Pages 61-61
The Infertility Clinic....Pages 62-63
Front Matter....Pages 65-65
‘The Pill and I……’....Pages 66-66
A Bad Back……....Pages 67-67
“A Miracle”……....Pages 68-69
Front Matter....Pages 65-65
Climbing the Andes....Pages 70-71
Fear of Flying……....Pages 72-73
The Lambeth Walk....Pages 74-75
”The Tests are Negative!”....Pages 76-77
Front Matter....Pages 79-79
“My Sister has Hughes Syndrome”....Pages 80-81
Trial and Error....Pages 82-83
“I Saved the Country £73,000”....Pages 84-85
What Happened Next?....Pages 86-86
“Your Condition Doesn't Exist”....Pages 87-87
“I've Got My Life Back!”....Pages 88-89
Back Matter....Pages 91-94
