RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Plummer-Vinson Syndrome With Concomitant Factor VII Deficiency
JF Ochsner Journal
JO Ochsner J
FD O. P. Jindal Global University
SP 286
OP 289
DO 10.31486/toj.18.0158
VO 19
IS 3
A1 Marvin Kajy
A1 Lea Monday
A1 Pierre Tannous
YR 2019
UL http://www.ochsnerjournal.org/content/19/3/286.abstract
AB Background: Plummer-Vinson syndrome (PVS), a rare disorder characterized by dysphagia, iron deficiency anemia, and esophageal webs, has principally been described in middle-aged women. This disorder is uncommon in the 21st century because of the abundance of iron-fortified foods. Clotting factor deficiencies are also rare. Factor VII deficiency is a bleeding disorder characterized by the absence of a critical protein in the coagulation cascade.Case Report: We present a case of PVS associated with factor VII deficiency in a 26-year-old African American female. The patient had a history of anemia that was repeatedly attributed to menstrual bleeding and dysphagia for 10 years. She presented with symptomatic anemia requiring transfusion. She reported a history of food getting stuck in her chest, and workup revealed esophageal webs with no evidence of overt luminal gastrointestinal bleeding. Coagulation laboratory tests revealed the incidental finding of a borderline increased prothrombin time. Hematologic studies confirmed the presence of factor VII deficiency.Conclusion: To our knowledge, no case has been published about a patient diagnosed with PVS and concomitant factor VII deficiency. Our case illustrates several learning points: (1) PVS is an uncommon disorder that may still be diagnosed in a developed country in the 21st century; (2) PVS requires close follow-up and esophageal surveillance because of the increased risk of esophageal cancer; (3) factor VII exhibits a high degree of phenotypic variability; (4) phenotype in factor VII deficiency does not always correlate with factor VII activity, although life-threatening spontaneous bleeding is not expected with levels >2%.