The Effect of Low Dose Aspirin on Placental Vascular Thrombosis in Pregnancies Complicated by Lupus Anticoagulant and Anticardiolipin Antibodies

Abstract

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5915/22-4-14315

We followed six pregnant women with a history of pregnancy losses and presence of anticardiolipin antibodies. Two of these patients were also positive for lupus anticoagulant antibody. All patients were placed on low dose aspirin (81 mg/ day) from the first trimester onward. All women were delivered between 30-40 weeks of pregnancy because of evidence of intrauterine growth retardation and abnormal fetal surveillance tests. Microscopic examination of the placentas showed thrombi involving large and medium sized vessels in tertiary stem villi and prominent medial hyperplasia in small and medium sized arterioles. This study suggests that low dose aspirin therapy may ameliorate, but does not prevent, formation of placental vascular thrombi.