Near fatal spontaneous intraperitoneal bleeding: A rare manifestation in a congenital factor X deficiency carrier

Congenital factor X (FX) deficiency is a rare coagulation disorder of autosomal recessive inheritance, characterized by bleeding of variable severity. Bleeding severity generally correlates with the level of FX functional activity and severe bleeding usually occurs in moderate and severe deficiency, when FX coagulant activity is <5%. FX activity above 10% is infrequently associated with severe bleeding. Here we report the rare occurrence of life-threatening massive spontaneous intraperitoneal bleeding with hypovolemic shock, resulting from spontaneous rupture of an ovarian luteal cyst in a 25-year-old FX deficiency carrier woman, with a FX activity of 26%. She was managed successfully conservatively, with fresh frozen plasma and packed red blood cell transfusions and she showed gradual improvement. The case is being reported to discuss the diagnosis and management of this rare inherited coagulation disorder.