What common laboratory findings are associated with factor X deficiency?

Factor X deficiency is a rare bleeding disorder that affects the body's ability to form blood clots effectively. In individuals with this deficiency, the common pathway of the coagulation cascade is impaired, which results in specific laboratory findings.

When evaluating a patient with factor X deficiency, one of the prominent findings is an increased prothrombin time (PT). This is because factor X plays a critical role in the conversion of prothrombin to thrombin, and its deficiency leads to a longer time for blood to clot in the extrinsic pathway, which is reflected in an elevated PT.

In addition to the increased PT, individuals with factor X deficiency may also exhibit a normal partial thromboplastin time (PTT). This can sometimes lead to confusion as PTT may remain normal due to the fact that the intrinsic pathway (measured by PTT) is not directly affected in the same manner as the common pathway involving factor X.

Bleeding time typically remains normal in factor X deficiency because this measure is primarily affected by platelet function and vascular integrity rather than specific coagulation factors.

Therefore, the correct response is that patients with factor X deficiency will show an increased prothrombin time, and since bleeding time does not significantly change in this specific scenario, it