An acquired inhibitor to factor XIII A case report

Abstract

An elderly woman presented with a postoperative bleeding problem, and a presumptive diagnosis of factor XIII (fibrin-stablilizing factor) deficiency was made. However, on further testing, an inhibitor to factor XIII was detected. She was on isoniazid (INH) therapy at the time. INH has been implicated in other patients who have developed inhibitors to factor XIII, and it was felt that this was the reason for this patient developing the inhibitor. The patient subsequently died from a cerebral haemorrhage, a well-described complication of factor XIII deficiency.