Haemophilia prophylaxis in young patients--a long-term follow-up

Abstract

Objectives: To review long-term prophylactic factor treatment in young patients with severe haemophilia A and B, focusing on the orthopaedic and radiological outcome.

Design: We received 34 patients with severe haemophilia A (n = 29) and B (n = 5), aged 7-22 years. Age at start of treatment was 1-4.5 years. Dosages of factor concentrate (F VIII and F IX, respectively) were 25-40 IU/kg body weight, three times a week for haemophilia A and twice a week for haemophilia B. The patients had been checked annually over a 5-year period (1990-95). Orthopaedic and radiological joint scores were evaluated according to recommendations by the World Federation of Haemophilia.

Setting: All results were obtained at the Department for Coagulation Disorders, University of Lund, Malmö University Hospital, Malmö, Sweden.

Results: Orthopaedic and radiological joint scores were found to have remained unchanged during follow-up in almost all patients and to be still zero (i.e. no unaffected joints) in 79% (n = 27) of the patients.

Conclusion: There is a growing international consensus haemophilic arthropathy can be prevented by administering early high-dose prophylaxis. The results of the present investigation strongly support this opinion.