Inherited Bleeding Disorders

Evaluation of the patient with a suspected bleeding disorder is both fascinating and frightening for the treating clinician given the broad differential diagnosis coupled with the potential for life-threatening symptoms. Across a diverse spectrum of causes, inherited bleeding disorders present a unique challenge due to the variability in clinical presentation, special requirements for diagnostic testing, and limited access to appropriate therapies for management. For many clinicians, the coagulation cascade is the epitome of a "black box" in their fund of knowledge; a complex set of biochemical reactions made even more confusing by the use of Roman numerals and arrows that cross one another in an attempt to describe the delicate homeostatic balance of hemostasis that is in reality much more complex than any single diagram could possibly convey.
Source: Hematology/Oncology Clinics of North America - Category: Cancer & Oncology Authors: Tags: Preface Source Type: research