Hemorrhagic diathesis is a disorder that involves the tendency to bleed or bleed. Hypocoagulability, which is abnormal blood clotting, causes this condition. There are actually several types of bleeding diathesis, ranging from mild to severe. The condition is also known as a bleeding tendency or predisposition.
The appearance of hemorrhagic diathesis can be traced back to coagulopathy. Also known as a clotting disorder or a bleeding disorder, it denotes the inability of the blood to form clots normally. Hypocoagulability is a type of coagulopathy, which occurs when blood clotting is too slow.
Hypocoagulability results in the reduction of platelets, which are involved in the blood clotting process. This in turn leads to excessive bleeding. Two factors that can also contribute to bleeding diathesis are Cushing's syndrome or thinning of the skin; and the inability of the body to heal wounds quickly, scurvy is the cause of this.
Acquired forms of bleeding diathesis can be triggered by conditions such as leukemia. This is cancer of the blood or bone marrow that involves the reduction of blood platelets. Also, a vitamin K deficiency is known to cause massive uncontrolled bleeding.
Hemorrhagic diathesis can also be genetic. Some people do not have the genes necessary to produce clotting elements. Two main examples of genetic disorders related to coagulopathy are hemophilia and von Willebrand disease (vWD).
Hemophilia is a collection of inherited genetic disorders characterized by low levels of blood plasma clotting factors. VWD, the most common genetic clotting disorder, refers to the reduction of a multimeric protein necessary for platelet adhesion. It is named after the Finnish internist who first described the condition. The rarer genetic forms of bleeding diathesis include Bernard-Soulier syndrome, Glanzmann thrombasthenia, and Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome.
The most common symptom of hemorrhagic diathesis is purpura, which is a red or purple spot that occurs when capillaries under the skin burst. They can also be called petechiae or ecchymosis, depending on their size. Other signs include excessive nosebleeds, bleeding gums, and blood in the stool.
Treatment of hemorrhagic diathesis can vary, as there are different types of disorder, although all methods are similar in that they aim to reduce the amount of bleeding. Some treatments include plasma exchange therapy, blood thinners, and platelet transfusions. Of these treatments, patients may experience complications such as soft tissue bleeding; anemia or reduced red blood cell count; and cerebral hemorrhage, or bleeding in the brain.