Mild familial hypoproconvertinemia.

The outcome of 8 episodes of intracranial hemorrhage in 7 patients (4 males, 3 females) with congenital factor VII deficiency was evaluated. Their levels of factor VII clotting activity (FVII:C) were less than 1 per cent (n = 3) and ranged from 1.7 to 2.3 per cent (n = 4). The onset varied from the first week (n = 2), first month (n = 3), and at the ages of 6, 11 and 12 months (n = 3). The replacement therapy of 10 ml/kg of fresh frozen plasma (FFP) every 6-12 hours for 5-7 days was given to 6 patients. Only one craniotomy for the removal of hematoma was performed. The seventh patient experienced two episodes of bleeding. First, she received 20 microg/kg of recombinant factor VIIa (rFVIIa) every 6 hours for 4 days (1,200 microg) followed by FFP in one episode. Second, a craniotomy for the removal of a 7 cm diameter hematoma was performed by giving 20 microg/kg of rFVIIa every 6 hours for 12 days (9,600 microg) followed by FFP in another episode. As a result of these treatments, 2 died and 5 survived with sequelae, except for one who received rFVIIa. The sequelae included seizure disorder (n = 1) and hydrocephalus (n = 3). Subsequently, the surviving patients received 15 ml/kg of lyophilized fresh plasma every 3-5 days as prophylactic treatment. In conclusion, rFVIIa in the dose of 20 microg/kg every 6 hours has been shown to be effective in controlling intracranial hemorrhage in patients with congenital factor VII deficiency.

Factor VII Deficiency↗

PubMed1998

Clinical picture and treatment strategies in factor VII deficiency.

Factor VII is a trace protein required for normal haemostasis. Deficiency of factor VII comprises a highly heterogeneous disease group. Factor VII deficiency can cause bleeding, in particular if factor VII is extremely low, but a few cases lacking factor VII function entirely or subtotally may not present with a history of bleeding. Bleeding problems are not often reported in patients having a factor VII:C level at 10-15% of normal or more. Bleeding is frequently of mucocutaneous type, but the whole array of haemophilic bleeding may also occur. To control bleeding, during surgery in particular, substitution is required in the severe case of factor VII deficiency, but clinical studies documenting which correctional levels of factor VII:C to aim are lacking. It appears that a critical low level (trough) value at 10-15% may be anticipated, but clear documentation does not exist. Substitution programmes may include plasma or plasma derived factor IX concentrates of lower degrees of purity, so-called prothrombin complex concentrates that also are relatively impure, and pure factor VII concentrates. An alternative is a recombinant factor VIIa molecule. However, this concentrate has not received license in a number of countries. Thrombotic manifestations appear to occur more often than expected in the factor VII deficient patients, some have been linked to the use of impure concentrates, others to preexisting thrombophilic risk factors, but some are unexplained and may bear a relationship to the deficiency state of factor VII itself. Controlled clinical trials are highly warranted in this rare bleeding condition.

Factor VII Deficiency↗