Thrombophilia

Thrombophilia, sometimes called hypercoagulability or a prothrombotic state, is an abnormality of blood coagulation that increases the risk of thrombosis, meaning blood clots forming in blood vessels. Such abnormalities can be identified in about half of the people who have an episode of thrombosis, such as deep vein thrombosis in the leg, that was not provoked by other causes. A significant proportion of the general population has a detectable thrombophilic abnormality, but most of these people develop thrombosis only in the presence of an additional risk factor. There is no specific treatment for most thrombophilias, although recurrent episodes of thrombosis may be an indication for long-term preventive anticoagulation. The first major form to be identified by medical science, antithrombin deficiency, was identified in 1965, while the most common abnormalities, including factor V Leiden, were described in the 1990s.