laboratory features
Last reviewed 01/2018
- increased prothrombin time (PT)
- increased partial thromboplastin time (PTT) - but not early in the disease, and less markedly abnormal than PT
- fibrinogen levels - usually normal; may be reduced in cirrhosis or chronic hepatitis
- thrombin time - usually normal; prolonged in cirrhosis and chronic hepatitis due to fibrin degradation products (FDP) and/or hypofibrinogenaema or dsyfibrinogenaemia
- platelet count - often normal; reduced in hypersplenism, disseminated intravascular coagulation, marrow dysfunction secondary to alcoholic excess or folic acid deficiency
- euglobulin lysis time - reduced if clearance of tPA is decreased as in cirrhosis and chronic hepatitis