Bleeding related to disturbed fibrinolysis.

The components and reactions of the fibrinolysis system are well understood. The pathway has fewer reactants and interactions than coagulation, but the generation of a complete quantitative model is complicated by the need to work at the solid-liquid interface of fibrin. Diagnostic tools to detect disease states due to malfunctions in the fibrinolysis pathway are also not so well developed as is the case with coagulation. However, there are clearly a number of inherited or acquired pathologies where hyperfibrinolysis is a serious, potentially life-threatening problem and a number of antifibrinolytc drugs are available to treat hyperfibrinolysis. These topics will be covered in the following review.