Acquired Hemophilia
Overview
Acquired hemophilia is a rare but potentially life-threatening bleeding disorder
Symptoms
People with acquired hemophilia may experience extensive bruising from bleeding under the skin. Other signs can include tea-colored urine (can be a sign of bleeding in the bladder or kidney); black stools (bleeding into the bowel); and problems with eyesight, blurring vision, headache, or dizziness (internal bleeding)
Causes
the development of autoantibodies directed against plasma coagulation factors, most frequently factor VIII (FVIII).
Diagnosis
Diagnosis of acquired hemophilia can be difficult because of its rarity and because the patient does not have the usual precedent personal or family history of bleeding episodes seen in congenital hemophilia.
Treatment
To manage their disease and stop bleeds, people with hemophilia must replace the blood proteins that they are missing. This is done by infusing clotting replacement factor. People with hemophilia A (a lack of Factor VIII) infuse clotting factor VIII. People with hemophilia B, or Christmas disease (a lack of Factor IX), infuse clotting Factor IX.