Two cases of Factor XI deficiency: Use of Thrombin Generation Assays (TGA) to detect a non-bleeding phenotype.

Factor XI deficiency is a rare disorder of hemostasis. Previously also known as "hemophilia C", this defect has been regarded as a risk factor for bleeding. However, it has been known for long that bleeding tendency and severity of bleeding are not related to the residual factor XI activity in symptomatic patients.

Hypofibrinogenemia and miscarriage: report of a first successful pregnancy under fibrinogen substitution and short review of the literature.

Disorders of fibrinogen have been reported to be associated not only with bleeding and thrombosis but also with miscarriage. Here, we report the case of a woman with genetically determined hypofibrinogenemia and recurrent miscarriages who had a first successful pregnancy under fibrinogen substitution. Current knowledge on fibrinogen disorders and recurrent miscarriages is briefly summarized and discussed.

Testis morphology in rats chronically treated with letrozole, an aromatase inhibitor.

The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of the long-term treatment of rats with letrozole on the testis morphology. The pharmacologically induced estrogen deficiency caused statistically significant decreases of both intratesticular and serum levels of estradiol, and morphological changes in the seminiferous epithelium and in the interstitial tissue of the testes. Six months of treatment resulted in the sloughing of premature germ cells of the seminiferous epithelium into the tubular lumen and in intraepithelial vacuolization.