No abstract

Platelet-rich plasma is a useful, safe, and inexpensive treatment for chronic haemophilic synovitis.

With the introduction of safe and effective factor VIII/IX-bypassing agents--recombinant activated factor VII (rFVIIa) and plasma-derived activated prothrombin complex concentrates (pd-APCC)--elective orthopaedic surgery (EOS) is a viable option for haemophilia patients with inhibitors. We report a series of patients with haemophilia and inhibitors undergoing EOS between 1997 and 2008 using bypassing agents to provide haemostatic cover. All inhibitor patients undergoing EOS and receiving rFVIIa, plasma-derived prothrombin complex concentrates (pd-PCC) or pd-APCC as haemostatic cover were included. Patients were operated on by the same surgeon and were managed by the same haemophilia treatment centre. Forty procedures (25 minor and 15 major) were conducted in 18 patients. Twenty-one minor cases were covered using rFVIIa, three with pd-PCC, and one with pd-APCC; all major cases were covered using rFVIIa. Bleeding was no greater than expected compared with a non-haemophilic population in all 25 minor procedures. In the major procedure group, there was no excessive bleeding in 40% of cases (6/15) and bleeding completely stopped in response to rFVIIa. For the remaining nine cases, bleeding response to rFVIIa was described as 'markedly decreased' or 'decreased' in 4/15 cases and 'unchanged' in 5/15 cases. Overall, efficacy of rFVIIa, based on final patient outcome, was 85%. One death occurred as a result of sepsis secondary to necrotizing fasciitis. Good control of haemostasis can be achieved with bypassing agents in haemophilia patients with inhibitors undergoing minor EOS; rFVIIa was used as an effective bypassing agent, enabling EOS in patients undergoing minor and major procedures.

Development of inhibitors against factor VIII (FVIII) or FIX is the most serious complication of replacement therapy in patients with haemophilia. Haemophilic pseudotumours in a patient with inhibitors can lead to devastating consequences. The aim of this study is to show our experience in the treatment of 10 pseudotumours in 7 patients with inhibitors who were treated by the same multidisciplinary team in the period between January 2000 and March 2013. Seven severe haemophilia A patients were treated at the Haemophilia Foundation in Buenos Aires, Argentina, for 10 pseudotumours. Eight were bone pseudotumours and two soft tissue. All patients underwent imaging studies at baseline to assess the size and content of the lesion. The patients received Buenos Aires protocol as conservative treatment of their pseudotumours for 6 weeks, after which they were evaluated. Only one patient responded to conservative treatment. Surgery was performed on the others six patients, since their pseudotumours did not shrink to less than half their original size. Any bleeding in the musculoskeletal system must be treated promptly in order to prevent pseudotumours. When pseudotumours do appear in inhibitor patients, they can be surgically removed when patients received proper haemostatic coverage, improving the quality of life of these patients.

Hemophilia A (HA) provides excellent models to analyze genotype–phenotype relationships and mutational mechanisms. NhF8ld's breakpoints were characterized using case‐specific DNA‐tags, direct‐ or inverse‐polymerase chain reaction amplification, and Sanger sequencing. DNA‐break's stimulators (n = 46), interspersed repeats, non‐B‐DNA, and secondary structures were analyzed around breakpoints versus null hypotheses (E‐values) based on computer simulations and base‐frequency probabilities. Nine of 18 (50%) severe‐HA patients with nhF8lds developed inhibitors, 1/8 affecting one exon and 8/10 (80%) affecting multi‐exons. NhF8lds range: 2–165 kb. Five (45%) nhF8lds involve F8‐extragenic regions including three affecting vicinal genes (SMIM9 and BRCC3) but none shows an extra‐phenotype not related to severe‐HA. The contingency analysis of recombinogenic motifs at nhF8ld breakpoints indicated a significant involvement of several DNA‐break stimulator elements. Most nhF8ld's breakpoint junctions showed microhomologies (1–7 bp). Three (27%) nhF8lds show complexities at the breakpoints: an 8‐bp inverted‐insertion, and the remnant two, inverted‐ and direct‐insertions (46–68 bp) supporting replicative models microhomology‐mediated break‐induced replication/Fork Stalling and Template Switching. The remnant eight (73%) nhF8lds may support nonhomologous end joining/microhomology‐mediated end joining models. Our study suggests the involvement of the retroposition machinery (e.g., Jurka‐targets, Alu‐elements, long interspersed nuclear elements, long terminal repeats), microhomologies, and secondary structures at breakpoints playing significant roles in the origin of the upmost severe phenotype in HA.