Disorder - Haemophilia B

Organ Systems Involved
Cardiovascular

Alternative disorders described within LIDA

Haemophilia A; Hageman factor deficiency

Alternative Names
Christmas disease; Factor IX deficiency; HEMB; Thromboplastin component (PTC) deficiency

Presenting Signs

Haemophilia B is caused by a hereditary deficiency of clotting factor IX, one of the substances responsible for blood clotting. It is caused by a sex-linked recessive gene. It causes prolonged bleeding (due to prolonged Activated Partial Thromboplastin Time, a measure of the time it takes for blood to clot), but is milder than usually found in haemophilia A. Possible signs include episodes of lameness, swelling under the skin, bruises that resolve with no treatment, prolonged bleeding after minor trauma, weakness, lack of appetite, fever and depression. The severity of the bleeding disorder is related to how active the factor IX is. Affected cats usually bleed spontaneously if the factor IX activity is very low (<5%). If affected cats have adequate factor IX (e.g. 25-30%), they only bleed massively and often life-threateningly during or after surgery.

Cats at Risk

Male

Breeds Affected
British Shorthair
Siamese


Treatment

Supportive and transfusion therapy

PubMed References
Haemophilia B

Contributor
Shing Cheuk Chan Bird