When thrombin time is prolonged, which condition may be suspected?

Thrombin time measures the time it takes for a fibrin clot to form in a plasma sample after the addition of thrombin, which catalyzes the conversion of fibrinogen to fibrin. When thrombin time is prolonged, this indicates a problem with fibrinogen levels or function, as thrombin relies on adequate fibrinogen to produce a clot.

In the case of hypofibrinogenemia, there is a deficiency of fibrinogen in the blood. This directly impacts the thrombin time because if there is insufficient fibrinogen, even with normal thrombin levels, the formation of the fibrin clot will be delayed, resulting in a prolonged thrombin time. This condition can occur due to various reasons, such as liver disease, disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC), or congenital deficiencies.

The other conditions mentioned do not primarily affect thrombin time. For example, deficiencies in Factors VII, VIII, or X typically result in prolonged prothrombin time (PT) or activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT), but not specifically thrombin time, as they do not directly influence fibrinogen levels or function. Therefore, the prolonged thrombin time pointing towards hypofibrinogen