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Hemophilia - Overview

Definition of Hemophilia:

Hemophilia refers to a group of bleeding disorders in which it takes a long time for the blood to clot.

Causes, incidence, and risk factors:

Blood clotting factors are substances in the blood that help form a clot. When one or more of these clotting factors are missing, there is a higher chance of bleeding.

In most cases, the disorder is passed down through families (inherited). It most often affects males.

Blood clots

Reviewed last on: 3/2/2009
David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine; and Yi-Bin Chen, MD, Leukemia/Bone Marrow Transplant Program, Massachusetts General Hospital. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

References

Kumar V, Abbas AK, Fausto N. Robbins and Cotran Pathologic Basis of Disease. 7th ed. St. Louis, Mo: WB Saunders; 2005:655-656.

Kessler C. Hemorrhagic disorders: Coagulation factor deficiencies. In: Goldman L, Ausiello D, eds. Cecil Medicine. 23rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier;2007:chap 180.

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Hemophilia - Overview

Definition of Hemophilia:

Causes, incidence, and risk factors:

References