ABSTRACT
The hemostatic balance is a complex system where the delicate equilibrium is regulated
by several factors including hormones. A variety of endocrine disorders have been
reported to be associated with coagulation abnormalities, ranging from mild laboratory
changes to clinically relevant thrombotic or bleeding manifestations. In this review,
we summarize the current knowledge on the main abnormalities of the coagulation and
fibrinolytic systems associated with thyroid dysfunctions. Overall, although mostly
based on uncontrolled studies, data in the literature suggest that patients with hyperthyroidism
or subclinical hypothyroidism have a hypercoagulative state, whereas patients with
overt hypothyroidism have a bleeding tendency.
KEYWORDS
Bleeding - thrombosis - hyperthyroidism - hypothyroidism
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Massimo FranchiniM.D.
Servizio di Immunoematologia e Trasfusione
Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Parma, Parma, Italy
eMail: mfranchini@ao.pr.it