Related Experiment Videos
Is testing for inherited coagulation inhibitor deficiencies in young stroke patients worthwhile?
M Amiri1, J W Schmidley, L M Fink
1Department of Neurology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System, Mail Stop 500, 4301 West Markham, 72205, Little Rock, AR, USA.
Objective:
To test the hypothesis that in patients under age 50, with a first, arterial, ischemic cerebral infarct, whose family history and medical history do not suggest an inherited coagulation inhibitor deficiency, the yield of a laboratory search for these disorders will be low.
Materials And Methods:
In 55 such patients under age 50, we systematically searched for deficiencies of protein C, protein S, and antithrombin III.
Results:
No abnormalities of protein C or antithrombin III were found. One patient had a deficiency of protein S, which was most likely acquired rather than inherited.
Conclusions:
In patients who lack clinical features of a prothrombotic state, the yield of testing for protein C, S and AT III deficiency is likely to be low.