Figure 2. Schematic representation of the intrinsic and extrinsic coagulation pathway and the conversion of soluble fibrinogen into insoluble polymers.

Thrombin‘s action on fibrinogen results in the formation of fibrin strands (left insert) that are in time degradable with plasmin. By contrast, iron-induced dense matted deposits (right insert) are less degradable [89] - this is during normal blood coagulation. Iron-induced blood coagulation is seen as dense matted deposits under scanning electron microscopy and viscoelastically [85, 87, 88].