Congenital afibrinogenemia is a rare, inherited blood disorder in which the blood does not clot normally due to a lack of or a malfunction involving fibrinogen, a protein necessary for coagulation.
Causes, incidence, and risk factors:
This rare disease is caused by an autosomal recessive gene, which requires inheritance of the abnormal gene from both parents. There may be either a complete lack of fibrinogen or a defect in the functioning of available fibrinogen. This condition can occur in both sexes. The main risk factor is a family history of bleeding disorders.
Review Date: 4/15/2005
Reviewed By: Rita Nanda, MD, Department of Medicine, Section of Hematology/Oncology, University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, IL. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.
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