**7. Conclusion**

Thromboses of the cerebral arterial and venous systems are a common manifestation of APS leading to ischemic and/or hemorrhagic stroke. APS has been a

recognized cause of CVE especially in those without classic cardiovascular risk factors. It has been estimated that one in five strokes and patients younger than 45 could be associated with APS and some newer studies show that APL antibodies are present in approximately 14% of stroke patients. Persistently elevated APL seems to increase the risk for CV by at least fourfold. Stroke is the fourth most common presenting symptom behind deep venous thrombosis, thrombocytopenia, and livedo reticularis. The recurrent risk of stroke in APS patients has been less widely studied as compared to other types of thromboses, however, cumulative risk of 14% for brain ischemia at 10 years has been reported. APS increases stroke risk via many mechanisms including hypercoagulability, inflammation, accelerated atherosclerosis, and cardiac manifestations, among others. Mechanistically these lead to in-situ clot formation and/or embolic phenomena. Physicians must carefully consider all these potential mechanisms when evaluating and treating stroke patients to achieve both optimal short- and long-term outcomes. While the exact underlying pathophysiology of APS remains uncertain, underlying genetics in the setting of a triggering event (e.g., surgery, trauma, infection) is believed to play a key role in the development of the disease. While primary and secondary prevention recommendations continue to evolve, each case should be considered independently to achieve optimal results. Results from more randomized control trials are needed to further infer upon the ever-evolving consensus guidelines. For the time being, the decision to use primary and/or secondary prevention therapies, and of which type, will continue to be an individualized patient-centric decision requiring careful interpretation of test results with multispecialty (neurology, hematology, rheumatology) input.
