Inherited factor VII (FVII) deficiency is a rare autosomal recessive hemorrhagic disorder. Clinical bleeding can vary widely and does not always correlate with the level of FVII coagulant activity measured in plasma. Most severe cases of factor VII (FVII) deficiency are diagnosed during childhood, often during the first 6 months of life. In infancy, the most common sites of bleeding occur in the gastrointestinal tract or CNS, accounting for 60-70% of bleeds in this age group. Recombinant factor VIIa (rFVIIa) is one such agent, which has been shown to prevent hematoma expansion and improve outcome in acute intracranial haemorrhages. The purpose of this case report is to share our experience regarding the usefulness of rFVIIa in the management of acute intracranial haemorrhage.
Factor VII deficiency is a rare congenital blood disorder. Its clinical features are rather variable and ranges from epistaxis to massive intracranial haemorrhage. Treatment involves replacement therapy, which constitutes use of fresh frozen plasma, prothrombin complex concentrates or recombinant activated factor VII. Although it is a rare entity, one still needs to consider it as a probable diagnosis in a newborn with coagulopathy. We report here a case of Factor VII deficiency in a newborn who presented with subdural haemorrhage at day 4 of life.