Haemophilia - Diagnosis

Diagnosis

Haemophilia A can be mimicked by von Willebrand disease.

• von Willebrand Disease could significantly affect as many as 1 in 10,000 people.
• von Willebrand Disease type 2A, where decreased levels of von Willebrand Factor can lead to premature proteolysis of Factor VIII. In contrast to haemophilia, vWD type 2A is inherited in an autosomal dominant fashion.
• von Willebrand Disease type 2N, where von Willebrand Factor cannot bind Factor VIII, autosomal recessive inheritance. (i.e.; both parents need to give the child a copy of the gene).
• von Willebrand Disease type 3, where lack of von Willebrand Factor causes premature proteolysis of Factor VIII. In contrast to haemophilia, vWD type 3 is inherited in an autosomal recessive fashion.

Additionally, severe cases of vitamin K deficiency can present similar symptoms to haemophilia. This is because vitamin K is necessary for the human body to produce several protein clotting factors. This vitamin deficiency is rare in adults and older children but is common in newborns. Infants are born with naturally low levels of vitamin K and do not yet have the symbiotic gut flora to properly synthesise their own vitamin K. Bleeding issues due to vitamin K deficiency in infants is known as "haemorrhagic disease of the newborn", to avoid this complication newborns are routinely injected with vitamin K supplements.