Hemophilia - A new approach to an old disease

Hemophilia is a bleeding disorder resulting from a congenital deficiency in either factor VIII or IX. Recent major advances in diagnostic techniques a nd replacement-factor therapy are already in widespread use. Yet, at a time when the cure of hemophilia is rapidly becoming more probable than possibl e, issues of optimal and cost-effective care of both the disease and its co mplications are still being grappled with. This article discusses the past, present, and future of the diagnosis and therapy of hemophilia, and explor es therapeutic dilemmas and strategies most pertinent to its treatment toda y.