Congenital Afibrinogenaemia

Abstract

A case of congenital afibrinogenaemia is reported in an infant of 11 months of mixed European and Asia.n parentage. Ten -other cases collected from the literature are also reviewed. The principal features in this case are the total absence of fibrinogen in the blood, the history of recurrent haemorrhages beginning three days after birth, the complete noncoagulability of the blood, the increased bleeding time, the thrombocytopenia, and the low erythrocyte sedimentation rate. Death occurred from a severe haemorrhage due to a minor surgical wound inflicted for the purpose of giving a blood transfusion. An intramuscular injection of maternal blood was of little avail in arresting the bleeding. The aetiology of the hypofibrinogenopenic states is discussed. © 1951, British Medical Journal Publishing Group. All rights reserved.