A Case of Acquired Factor V Inhibitor

Recurrent bleeding after posthemorrhoidectomy caused by factor V deficiency: a case report and review of the literature

Congenital factor V (FV) deficiency is a rare hemorrhagic disorder that can cause excessive bleeding during and after surgery in the affected patient. This report is the case of a patient who had FV deficiency with recurrent posthemorrhoidectomy bleeding treated with the hemostatic procedure and fresh frozen plasma (FFP) transfusions. A 45-year-old male patient had previously undergone hemorrhoidectomy for multiple hemorrhoids at a local hospital. Hemorrhoidectomy was successful; however, he was transferred to our hospital for evaluation of the origin of the recurrent posthemorrhoidectomy bleeding and underwent a hemostatic procedure. This bleeding was treated with coagulation using electrocautery, multiple sutures, and FFP transfusion (1,600 mL/day) for 7 consecutive days. The patient's plasma FV activity was 23%. Early detection of clotting factor deficiency in patients with hemorrhagic events after surgical treatments may prevent unnecessary procedures such as reoperations and minimize the cost of replacement therapy such as large-volume FFP transfusion.

Factor V Deficiency in Korean Patients: Clinical and Laboratory Features, Treatment, and Outcome

Due to rarity of factor V (FV) deficiency, there have been only a few case reports in Korea. We retrospectively analysed the clinical-laboratory features of FV deficiency in 10 Korean patients. Between January 1987 and December 2013, 10 case reports published in a Korean journal or proceedings of Korea Society on Thrombosis and Hemostasis were reviewed. Severity is defined as mild (> 5% of factor activity), moderate (1%-5%), and severe (< 1%). The median age at diagnosis, six males and four females, was 26 years (range, 1 month-73 years). Six of 10 patients were classified as moderate, three as mild, and one as severe disease. Eight patients were diagnosed as inherited FV deficiency. The most frequent symptoms were mucosal tract bleedings (40%) such as epistaxis, and menorrhagia in female. Hemarthroses and postoperative bleeding occurred in one and four patients, respectively. Life-threatening bleeding episodes occurred in the peritoneal cavity (n = 2), central nerve system (n = 1), and retroperitoneal space (n = 1). No lethal haemorrhages happened to patients with mild disease. The majority of bleeding episodes were controlled with local measures and fresh-frozen plasma replacement. Two acquired FV deficient-patients showing life-threatening haemorrhages received the immunosuppressive therapy, but one of them died from postoperative bleeding complications. Despite the small sample size of this study due to rarity of the disease, we found that Korean patients with FV deficiency had similar clinical manifestations and treatment outcomes shown in previous studies.