CONGENITAL FACTOR-X DEFICIENCY - SPECTRUM OF BLEEDING SYMPTOMS IN 32 IRANIAN PATIENTS

The spectrum of the clinical manifestations of congenital factor X def iciency was studied in 32 Iranian patients. The most frequent symptom was epistaxis, which occurred in 72% of patients, with all degrees of deficiency Other mucosal haemorrhages (e.g. haematuria, gastrointestin al bleeding) were less frequent and occurred mainly in patients with u nmeasurable factor X. Menorrhagia occurred in hall: of the women of re productive age. Soft tissue bleeding occurred in two-thirds of the pat ients: spontaneous haematomas and haemarthroses led to severe arthropa thy in five patients. Bleeding from the umbilical stump was an unexpec ted finding: in nine patients. This study demonstrated that the bleedi ng tendency of factor X deficiency is severe and correlates with facto r levels.