Laboratory and clinical aspects of inherited thrombotic disorders

The laboratory evaluation of patients with recurrent thrombosis is frequently frustrating, with a low diagnostic yield obtained despite extensive testing. The likelihood of reaching a diagnosis in these patients can be increased by considering diagnostic possibilities usually overlooked and by using assays optimal for their detection. This review summarizes clinical and laboratory issues important in inherited thrombotic disease and discusses practical aspects and a strategy for laboratory testing. New information is provided on the fibrinolytic disorders that may be a common cause of recurrent thrombosis.