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Hemophilia
Pronunciation
Definition 1
Group of hereditary disorders in which affected individuals fail to make enough of certain proteins needed to form blood clots. (NCI Dictionary)
Definition 2
A deficiency or abnormality of a blood coagulation factor characterized by the tendency to spontaneous or exaggerated post-traumatic hemorrhage, Hemophilia is typically a hereditary disorder but, rarely, may be acquired. Inherited coagulation factor-deficient hemophilias include hemophilia A or classic hemophilia (factor VIII deficiency) hemophilia B or Christmas disease (factor IX deficiency), and hemophilia C (factor XI deficiency). In individuals without hereditary hemophilia A, factor VIII inhibitors may occur spontaneously as autoantibodies, resulting in a condition known as 'acquired hemophilia.' Approximately 10 % of patients with acquired hemophilia have an underlying malignancy. (NCI Thesaurus)
More information
Hemophilia is a rare disorder in which the blood does not clot normally. It is usually inherited. Hemophilia usually occurs in males.
If you have hemophilia, you have little or no clotting factor. Clotting factor is a protein needed for normal blood clotting. Without it, you may bleed for a long time after an injury or accident. You also may bleed into their knees, ankles, and elbows. Bleeding in the joints causes pain and, if not treated, can lead to arthritis. Bleeding in the brain, a very serious complication of hemophilia, requires emergency treatment.
The main symptoms of hemophilia are excessive bleeding and easy bruising. Blood tests can tell if you have it. The main treatment is injecting the missing clotting factor into the bloodstream. You may need it on a regular basis, or just when bleeding occurs. (NIH: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
Also called: Christmas disease, Factor IX deficiency, Factor VIII deficiency
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