Abstract
Antibodies directed against human thrombin are exceedingly rare, having only been reported in adult patients with underlying diseases. Consensus on the most appropriate management has not yet been reached. A 12-y-old girl presented with intractable menorrhagia several days after an acute infectious episode. Laboratory tests revealed disturbed clotting tests: prothrombin index 17%, activated partial thromboplastin time >150 s, thrombin time >120 s, and failure to achieve correction with a normal pooled plasma. Further studies demonstrated the presence of an antibody directed against human thrombin. Viral serology revealed a 1/128 titre for adenovirus. Massive haemorrhage was unresponsive to standard treatments, but intravenous administration of recombinant factor VIIa resulted in a successful outcome. This is the first report of an anti-human thrombin antibody associated with severe bleeding in a child. Recombinant factor VIIa could represent a novel therapeutic approach for such patients.
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