Congenital and acquired hypercoagulable states

Abstract

Hypercoagulable states, also called thrombophilia, can be either congenital or acquired. Congenital thrombophilia, associated mainly with venous thrombosis, is secondary either to coagulation inhibitor deficiencies, i.e., antithrombin, protein C, and protein S, or gain-of-function mutations, i.e., factor V Leiden and prothrombin G20210A mutations. Despite the relative frequency of these two mutations, they have not been associated with venous thrombosis recurrence. Acquired thrombophilia is associated with arterial and venous thrombosis and is mainly due to antiphospholipid syndrome, cancer, or myeloproliferative neoplasms. This chapter gives the clinician guidance on diagnostic and treatment strategies of these conditions. This chapter also provides insights into the pathophysiology of thrombosis related to these pathologic states.