A Clinical Case Study on Hemophilia in a Child From Esmeraldas Province, Ecuador

Abstract

Hemophilia A is a coagulation disorder where the main clinical manifestation is the presence of hemorrhage. The aim of the study  was to characterize hemophilia A through the results obtained in a case study of a child from Ecuador. The epidemiological study, at a descriptive level, was a clinical case that consisted of a 3-year-old Ecuadorian male patient, who at 3 months of age presented spontaneous hematomas in the lower limbs and back area. At 5 months of age, he was diagnosed with acute bronchitis with a clinical picture accompanied by nausea, vomiting and greenish liquid stools with mucus.  Physical examination showed the presence of hydrocele in the first 2 months of birth. Laboratory data indicated that the patient had decreased coagulation factor VIII (less than 0.3), classifying the disease as mild. The patient's family tree indicated that the maternal uncle had hemophilia A, so there was a 50% probability that the patient presented the pathology. The present study reported the case of a 3-year-old male patient with hemophilia A, concluding that it is of utmost importance for the physician to thoroughly investigate the patient's family history and make an early diagnosis by taking an umbilical cord blood sample to determine the levels of coagulation factors.