text: can someone explain the test for cardiolipin antibodies and what the numbers for igg and igm mean? patient has a rosacea-like rash on her face - not butterfly-like rash as seen in lupus -- but doctor insisted on testing for lupus. the igg test came back at 14; everything else was normal, including igm, ana screen and lupus acl. . doctor informed patient she should see a rheumatologist because there was a good chance she has a disease that causes miscarriage, deep vein thrombosis and sudden stroke. patient is age 23 and has no symptoms, is in excellent health. so her doc is thinking she may have antiphospholipid syndrome, right? so this disease is diagnosed by checking for anti-cardiolipin antibodies. antibodies have 2 main types: igg and igm. since her igg is increased it may suggest a rheumatic disease, like anti-phospholipid syndrome, or it could be a ton of other diseases, that's why she should see a rheumathologist, s/he is more capable of making the diagnosis of a rheumatic or collagen disease. these include: rheumatic arthitis, sjorgen's syndrome,  lupus (many types, not all of them anas +), and so son.