• Haemophilia A is an inherited bleeding disorder caused by deficiency or dysfunction of clotting factor VIII.

  • It is usually an X-linked recessive disorder and therefore predominantly affects males.

  • It causes prolonged bleeding because blood does not clot normally.

  • Common manifestations include:

    • Prolonged bleeding after injury or surgery

    • Spontaneous bleeding

    • Bleeding into joints and muscles

  • Severity depends largely on the level of factor VIII.

  • Treatment may involve factor VIII replacement therapy and, in selected cases, other therapies such as emicizumab.

Key Pointers

  • Factor deficient: VIII

  • Inheritance: X-linked recessive

  • More commonly affected: Males

  • Major complication: Recurrent joint bleeding

  • Different from Haemophilia B: Factor IX deficiency in Haemophilia B