Fibrinolysis is a complex enzymatic process aimed at dissolving blood clots to prevent vascular occlusions. The fibrinolytic system is composed of a number of cofactors that, by regulating fibrin degradation, maintain the hemostatic balance. A dysregulation of fibrinolysis is associated with various pathological processes that result, depending on the type of abnormality, in prothrombotic or hemorrhagic states. This narrative review is focused on the congenital and acquired disorders of primary fibrinolysis in both adults and children characterized by a hyperfibrinolytic state with a bleeding phenotype.
Keywords: acquired; bleeding; hemorrhage; inherited; primary hyperfibrinolysis.