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Diagnosis of Hemophilia

 For a proper diagnosis of Hemophilia, a person will have to go through a sequence of tests. These include coagulation study tests which check for:

• Low serum factor VIII activity
• Normal prothrombin time
• Normal bleeding time
• Normal fibrinogen level
• Prolonged partial thromboplastin time (PTT)
  

If the results of these tests indicate that the person has a bleeding disorder, other members of the family will also have to undergo the same tests to diagnose if they too have hemophilia.

Of late, genetic testing has also been prescribed to determine if a person is in the high-risk category for developing hemophilia or if he or she is a carrier of the disease.

An accurate diagnosis of “Hemophilia A” will also determine the severity level (0% to 50%). This conclusion is based on the levels of factor VIII in the blood. Studies show that among people who suffer from hemophilia, nearly 60% suffer from a severe case of the condition. Patients with mild hemophilia account for only 5 to 25% of the total numbers of people affected with the disease.

The above tests or coagulation studies will also indicate if the diagnosis is of hemophilia B, Von Willebrand disease, or hemophilia C.