Definition:
Hemophilia is a bleeding disorder in which clotting factors in the blood are missing, causing individuals with hemophilia to bleed for longer periods of time. Internal bleeding can also be a problem. There are two types of hemophilia, depending on the clotting factor that's missing: hemophilia A, in which factor VIII is missing, and hemophilia B, in which factor IX is missing. Hemophilia is mostly found in males; females with the gene, which is on the X chromosome, are generally carriers. While in most cases hemophilia is inherited, in some cases it does occur without a previous family history.
Alternate Spellings: haemophilia
