Specialty hematology ICD-9-CM 287.9 MeSH D006474 | ICD-10 D69.9 DiseasesDB 1442 | |
In medicine (hematology), bleeding diathesis (h(a)emorrhagic diathesis) is an unusual susceptibility to bleed (hemorrhage) mostly due to hypocoagulability, in turn caused by a coagulopathy (a defect in the system of coagulation). Several types are distinguished, ranging from mild to lethal. Also, bleeding diathesis can be caused by thinning of the skin or impaired wound healing.
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Causes
While there are several possible causes, they generally result in excessive bleeding and a lack of clotting.
Acquired
Acquired causes of coagulopathy include anticoagulation with warfarin, liver failure, Vitamin K deficiency and disseminated intravascular coagulation.Additionally, the haemotoxic venom from certain species of snakes can cause this condition, for example Bothrops, rattlesnakes and other species of viper. Viral hemorrhagic fevers include dengue hemorrhagic fever and Dengue Shock Syndrome
Leukemia may also cause coagulopathy. Furthermore, cystic fibrosis has been known to cause bleeding diathesis, especially in undiagnosed infants, due to malabsorption of fat soluble vitamins like Vitamin K.
Autoimmune causes of acquired coagulation disorders
There are autoimmune causes of coagulation disorders. They include acquired antibodies to coagulation factors, termed inhibitors of coagulation. The main inhibitor is directed against clotting Factor VIII. Another example is antiphospholipid syndrome an autoimmune, hypercoagulable state.
Causes other than coagulation
Bleeding diathesis may also be caused by impaired wound healing (as in scurvy), or by thinning of the skin, such as in Cushing's syndrome .
Genetic
Some people lack genes that typically produce the protein coagulation factors that allow normal clotting. Various types of Hemophilia and von Willebrand disease are the major genetic disorders associated with coagulopathy.Rare examples are Bernard-Soulier syndrome, Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome and Glanzmann's thrombasthenia.
Complications
Following are some complications of coagulopathies, some of them caused by their treatments: