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CME

Management of Joint Bleeding in Hemophilia

  • Authors: Mindy L. Simpson, MD; Leonard A. Valentino, MD
  • CME Released: 9/20/2012
  • THIS ACTIVITY HAS EXPIRED FOR CREDIT
  • Valid for credit through: 9/20/2013, 11:59 PM EST
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Target Audience and Goal Statement

This activity is intended for hematologists, radiologists, pediatricians, and other clinicians caring for patients with joint bleeding due to hemophilia.

The goal of this activity is to review the clinical presentation and management of hemarthrosis in patients with hemophilia.

Upon completion of this activity, participants will be able to:

  1. Describe the clinical characteristics of joint bleeding in hemophilia
  2. Describe prophylaxis to prevent joint bleeding in hemophilia
  3. Describe management of acute hemarthrosis in patients with hemophilia


Disclosures

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Medscape, LLC, encourages Authors to identify investigational products or off-label uses of products regulated by the US Food and Drug Administration, at first mention and where appropriate in the content.


Author(s)

  • Mindy L. Simpson, MD

    Department of Pediatrics, Hemophilia and Thrombophilia Center, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois

    Disclosures

    Disclosure: Mindy L. Simpson, MD, has disclosed no relevant financial relationships.

  • Leonard A. Valentino, MD

    Department of Pediatrics, Hemophilia and Thrombophilia Center, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois

    Disclosures

    Disclosure: Leonard A. Valentino, MD, has disclosed no relevant financial relationships.

Editor

  • Elisa Manzotti

    Publisher, Future Science Group, London, United Kingdom

    Disclosures

    Disclosure: Elisa Manzotti has disclosed no relevant financial relationships.

CME Author(s)

  • Laurie Barclay, MD

    Freelance writer and reviewer, Medscape, LLC

    Disclosures

    Disclosure: Laurie Barclay, MD, has disclosed no relevant financial relationships.

CME Reviewer(s)

  • Nafeez Zawahir, MD

    CME Clinical Director, Medscape, LLC

    Disclosures

    Disclosure: Nafeez Zawahir, MD, has disclosed no relevant financial relationships.


Accreditation Statements

    For Physicians

  • This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the Essential Areas and policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education through the joint sponsorship of Medscape, LLC and Expert Reviews Ltd. Medscape, LLC is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

    Medscape, LLC designates this Journal-based CME activity for a maximum of 1.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™ . Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

    Medscape, LLC staff have disclosed that they have no relevant financial relationships.

    Contact This Provider

For questions regarding the content of this activity, contact the accredited provider for this CME/CE activity noted above. For technical assistance, contact [email protected]


Instructions for Participation and Credit

There are no fees for participating in or receiving credit for this online educational activity. For information on applicability and acceptance of continuing education credit for this activity, please consult your professional licensing board.

This activity is designed to be completed within the time designated on the title page; physicians should claim only those credits that reflect the time actually spent in the activity. To successfully earn credit, participants must complete the activity online during the valid credit period that is noted on the title page. To receive AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™, you must receive a minimum score of 70% on the post-test.

Follow these steps to earn CME/CE credit*:

  1. Read the target audience, learning objectives, and author disclosures.
  2. Study the educational content online or printed out.
  3. Online, choose the best answer to each test question. To receive a certificate, you must receive a passing score as designated at the top of the test. Medscape Education encourages you to complete the Activity Evaluation to provide feedback for future programming.

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CME

Management of Joint Bleeding in Hemophilia: Mechanisms of Blood-induced Joint Disease

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Mechanisms of Blood-induced Joint Disease

The progression from normal joint to synovitis and then to arthropathy is attributed to undefined mediators in blood,[27,28] which is not normally found in the joint space.[29] Following an isolated hemarthrosis, blood in the joint cavity is gradually resorbed by synovial tissue over a period of 3–4 weeks, resulting in complete resolution of the hemorrhage.[30] By contrast, recurrent bleeding into a joint overwhelms the synovium. Iron (hemosiderin), the degradation product of red blood cells, accumulates in the tissue, leading to synovial hypertrophy and hyperplasia and the proliferation and persistence of inflammatory cells.[31] Chronic inflammation triggers the release of tissue-destructive enzymes and cytokines that contribute to progressive joint damage.[32,33]

Vascular development and angiogenesis are an essential component of blood-induced joint disease. Just as angiogenesis is required for tumor growth, angiogenesis also appears to be necessary for synovial expansion.[34] Neovascularization causes the synovial membrane to thicken and develop friable fronds and villous projections. A network of capillaries forms under the hypertrophied synovium in response to joint irritation and in an effort to increase blood flow to remove blood breakdown products.[30] Any attempt at joint rehabilitation may cause the synovial fronds and villi to become trapped in the joint space and torn with joint motion, severing the subsynovial vessels and causing bleeding. New hemorrhaging further irritates the synovium, increasing the likelihood of subsequent synovial entrapment and bleeding directly resulting in a self-perpetuating cycle of bleeding, synovitis and joint bleeding.[30]

Articular cartilage is composed of chondrocytes embedded in an extracellular matrix that produce collagen, proteoglycans and metabolism-regulating enzymes.[35] The continuous presence of blood in a joint changes the composition of the articular cartilage, possibly owing to the loss of proteoglycans and the production of degradative enzymes from iron-laden synovial or subsynovial macrophages.[36] As joint disease progresses, bone remodeling occurs, and osteoclastic activity increases, resulting in a loss of bone mineral density that culminates in osteoporosis.[27,28]