Protein C Deficiency - Coagulation Disorders

PROTEIN C DEFICIENCY

Protein C is an enzyme that, when activated, inhibits coagulation. When levels of Protein C are deficient, the risk of thrombosis in-creases, and thrombosis can often occur spontaneously. Protein C deficiency is at least as prevalent as AT III deficiency, and people who are Protein C–deficient can develop thrombosis early in life, as early as 15 years of age. Warfarin-induced skin necrosis is a rare but significant complication of anticoagulation management in patients with Protein C deficiency (Hoffman et al., 2000). This complication appears to result from progressive thrombosis in the capillaries within the skin; the extent of the necrosis can be extreme.