ABSTRACT
The liver plays a central role in the clotting process, and acute and chronic liver
diseases are invariably associated with coagulation disorders due to multiple causes:
decreased synthesis of clotting and inhibitor factors, decreased clearance of activated
factors, quantitative and qualitative platelet defects, hyperfibrinolysis, and accelerated
intravascular coagulation. The bleeding tendency accounts for increased risk of morbidity
and mortality in patients with liver disease undergoing diagnostic or therapeutic
invasive procedures. Peculiar coagulation disorders are prevalent in patients with
acute fatty liver of pregnancy or undergoing liver transplantation. Emerging evidence
shows that sepsis further impairs hemostasis in patients with liver cirrhosis bleeding
from esophageal varices. Thrombotic events, even if rare in cirrhotic patients, occur
mainly in the portal and mesenteric veins. The therapeutic approach to coagulative
disorders is also discussed.
KEYWORD
Liver disease - coagulation - hemostasis - bleeding