Coagulation and Platelet Function Disorders

Symptoms of coagulation disorders that result in not enough blood clotting (hemorrhage) include bruising easily and excessively, an injury that won’t stop bleeding, prolonged bleeding from ordinary cuts, and extreme fatigue.

For coagulation disorders that result in too much clotting (thrombosis), symptoms include the swelling of an arm or leg, shortness of breath, fast heart rate, a heart attack or stroke at a young age, and reoccurring pregnancy loss or stillbirth.

Symptoms for platelet function disorders can be mild or severe. These include internal bleeding, unexplained bruising, bleeding from the nose, mouth or gums, blood in your stool, and small red bumps on the skin (petechiae).

Some coagulation and platelet function disorders are inherited from parent to child. And some are acquired later in life or are a result of other medical conditions.

Some causes of coagulation disorders include:

• Liver disease
• Vitamin K deficiency
• Genetic conditions (hemophilia, Von Willebrand disease, Factor V Leiden disorder, antithrombin III deficiency and others)

Some causes of platelet function disorders include:

• Medications (penicillin, aspirin and others)
• Diseases (lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, cirrhosis of the liver and others)
• Genetic conditions (Chediak-Higashi syndrome, MYH9-related disorders, Hermansky-Pudlak syndrome and others)

Diagnosing these disorders takes several steps. After learning your and your family’s medical history, your doctor could order:

• MRI
• CT scan
• Ultrasound
• Blood tests
• Bleeding time studies
• Genetic counseling or testing

Your doctor may also test you for underlying conditions that can cause these disorders.

Treatment for coagulation disorders are based on risk reduction, including changes in lifestyle or activities due to risk of bleeding. Other treatments include medications to improve blood coagulation or help prevent clots from dissolving. Patients with moderate to severe bleeding disorders may require replacement therapy (adding missing clotting factors into your blood supply).

Treatment for platelet function disorders may include changing your diet and lifestyle, medications and transfusions (receiving blood from an external source).