Several congenital abnormalities of fibrinogen result in impaired conversion of fibrinogen to fibrin during blood coagulation. Fibrinogen is also a useful marker in the evaluation of several disease states including Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation, liver disease, inflammatory diseases and malignancies. High levels of fibrinogen are associated with an increased risk for cardiovascular disease. Increased levels are also found during pregnancy and oral contraceptive use, while reduced levels are found during thrombolytic therapy.