High incidence of intracranial haemorrhage in Egyptian children with congenital afibrinogenaemia

INTRODUCTION

Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is associated with high morbidity and mortality in patients with congenital afibrinogenaemia. Details on location of cerebral haemorrhage, management and neurological outcomes are lacking.

METHODS

We performed a retrospective study on Egyptian children with congenital afibrinogenaemia who experienced ICH, in order to estimate frequency, symptoms and neurological outcomes.

RESULTS

Among 58 children with congenital afibrinogenaemia treated on demand, 18 (31%) had an history of ICH (28 episodes). The first ICH occurred at a median age of 1 year (Q1-Q3 1-7 years). Impaired consciousness level, vomiting and seizures were the most common presenting symptoms. Spontaneous bleeding was associated with a more severe clinical presentation and worse neurological outcomes, including hydrocephaly and impaired cognitive development. Only half of ICH events (n = 14) were treated in less than 24 h from the onset of symptoms. Fibrinogen replacement by Fresh Frozen Plasma (FFP), cryoprecipitate or fibrinogen concentrates was administered in seven (25%), 19 (68%) and three (10%) ICH events, respectively. Overall, seven (25%) ICH occurring in four patients required a surgical intervention. After the ICH, six patients started secondary prophylaxis. The cumulative incidence of ICH at 10 years was 35% (95% CI 23-51) and at 20 years was 40% (95 CI% 26.7-58.8).

CONCLUSION

In our cohort of children with congenital afibrinogenaemia, ICH was very frequent and associated with adverse neurological outcomes and death. Further studies are required to determine whether primary prophylaxis starting early in childhood is indicated after diagnosis.

Efficacy and safety of fibrinogen concentrate for on-demand treatment of bleeding and surgical prophylaxis in paediatric patients with congenital fibrinogen deficiency

Background

Congenital fibrinogen deficiency (CFD) is a rare, inherited disorder affecting normal blood clotting function, where patients can experience severe and/or frequent bleeding episodes (BEs). Treatment with human fibrinogen concentrate (HFC) can prevent/arrest bleeding. There is a need for more data on the efficacy, pharmacokinetics (PK) and safety of HFC treatment in paediatric patients with CFD.

Methods

Haemostatic efficacy of HFC (Fibryga^®, Octapharma AG) for on‐demand treatment of bleeding and surgical prophylaxis in patients <12 years old was assessed by investigators and an Independent Data Monitoring and Endpoint Adjudication Committee (IDMEAC) based on an objective 4‐point efficacy scale. Maximum clot firmness (MCF; surrogate marker of haemostatic efficacy), single‐dose PK and safety were also assessed.

Results

Of 14 patients receiving HFC (median [range] age 6.0 years [1.0–10.0]), eight received HFC for 10 BEs, three for surgical prophylaxis and 13 for PK. The IDMEAC rated haemostatic efficacy as 100% successful for on‐demand BE treatment (95% CI 69.15–100.00) and surgical prophylaxis (95% CI 29.24–100.00). After a mean first dose of 70.78 mg/kg for BEs, mean (±SD) MCF significantly increased from pre‐treatment to 1‐hour post‐infusion (3.3 mm [±1.77]; P = 0.0002), coinciding with haemostatic efficacy. PK parameters were favourable. Two possibly related adverse events occurred, including one serious (portal vein thrombosis). No allergic/hypersensitivity reactions or deaths were observed.

Conclusion

HFC treatment for on‐demand treatment of BEs and surgical prophylaxis was efficacious for this ultra‐rare paediatric population with congenital afibrinogenaemia and showed a favourable PK and safety profile.

Obstetrical and postpartum complications in women with hereditary fibrinogen disorders: A systematic literature review

INTRODUCTION

Hereditary fibrinogen disorders (HFD) are rare quantitative or qualitative fibrinogen anomalies, including afibrinogenaemia (A), hypofibrinogenaemia (H), dysfibrinogenaemia (D) and hypodysfibrinogenaemia (HD). As fibrinogen plays an essential role in pregnancy, we addressed the issue of obstetrical and postpartum complications in women with HFD.

METHODS

A systematic literature review, restricted to English manuscripts, was conducted according to the PRISMA guidelines. We searched through the MEDLINE database for English articles, published from January 1985 until November 2018, focusing on pregnancy in A, H, D and HD. A total of 198 articles were identified, 15 articles were added from other sources. Overall, 213 articles were screened and 54 were included in the final analysis.

RESULTS

A total of 188 pregnancies from 70 women were analysed. About half of pregnancies resulted in miscarriage; more specifically in 15 (42.9%), 36 (46.8%), 27 (42.9%) and 4 (30.8%) of A, H, D and HD patients, respectively. Preterm complications were also frequent (33.5%). Metrorrhagia, mainly in the first trimester, was observed in 21.7% of the pregnancies. Placenta abruption was reported in 5 (14.3%), 4 (5.2%), 5 (7.9%) and 1 (7.7%) of A, H, D and HD, respectively. A total of 24 (12.7%) deliveries were complicated by postpartum thrombotic events (3.2%) or postpartum haemorrhage (9.6%). A fibrinogen replacement therapy was introduced in 30% of pregnancies, as prophylaxis (81.1%) or on demand (18.9%).

CONCLUSION

These results suggest that women with HFD are at high risk of obstetrical and postpartum complications. Prospective international registries may allow to identify more precisely the incidence of obstetrical and postpartum adverse outcomes and their management.

Management of congenital quantitative fibrinogen disorders: a Delphi consensus

INTRODUCTION

No evidence-based guidelines for the management of patients suffering from afibrinogenaemia and hypofibrinogenaemia are available.

AIM AND METHOD

The aim of this study was to harmonize patient's care among invited haemophilia experts from Belgium, France and Switzerland. A Delphi-like methodology was used to reach a consensus on: prophylaxis, bleeding, surgery, pregnancy and thrombosis management.

RESULTS

The main final statements are as follows: (i) a secondary fibrinogen prophylaxis should be started after a first life-threatening bleeding in patients with afibrinogenaemia; (ii) during prophylaxis the target trough fibrinogen level should be 0.5 g L^-1 ; (iii) if an adaptation of dosage is required, the frequency of infusions rather than the fibrinogen amount should be modified; (iv) afibrinogenaemic patients undergoing a surgery at high bleeding risk should receive fibrinogen concentrates regardless of the personal or family history of bleeding; (v) moderate hypofibrinogenaemic patients (i.e. ≥0.5 g L^-1 ) without previous bleeding (despite haemostatic challenges) undergoing a surgery at low bleeding risk may not receive fibrinogen concentrates as prophylaxis; (vi) monitoring the trough fibrinogen levels should be performed at least once a month throughout the pregnancy and a foetal growth and placenta development close monitoring by ultrasound is recommended; (vii) fibrinogen replacement should be started concomitantly to the introduction of anticoagulation in afibrinogenaemic patients suffering from a venous thromboembolic event; and (viii) low-molecular-weight heparin is the anticoagulant of choice in case of venous thromboembolism.

CONCLUSION

The results of this initiative should help clinicians in the difficult management of patients with congenital fibrinogen disorders.

Can the phenotype of inherited fibrinogen disorders be predicted?

Congenital fibrinogen disorders are rare diseases affecting either the quantity (afibrinogenaemia and hypofibrinogenaemia) or the quality (dysfibrinogenaemia) or both (hypodysfibrinogenaemia) of fibrinogen. In addition to bleeding, unexpected thrombosis, spontaneous spleen ruptures, painful bone cysts and intrahepatic inclusions can complicate the clinical course of patients with quantitative fibrinogen disorders. Clinical manifestations of dysfibrinogenaemia include absence of symptoms, major bleeding or thrombosis as well as systemic amyloidosis. Although the diagnosis of any type of congenital fibrinogen disorders is usually not too difficult with the help of conventional laboratory tests completed by genetic studies, the correlation between all available tests and the clinical manifestations is more problematic in many cases. Improving accuracy of diagnosis, performing genotype, analysing function of fibrinogen variants and carefully investigating the personal and familial histories may lead to a better assessment of patients' phenotype and therefore help in identifying patients at increased risk of adverse clinical outcomes. This review provides an update of various tests (conventional and global assays, molecular testing, fibrin clot analysis) and clinical features, which may help to better predict the phenotype of the different types of congenital fibrinogen disorders.