Von Willebrand disease

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Blood clot formation

Blood clots

• Abnormal menstrual bleeding
• Bleeding of the gums
• Bruising
• Nosebleeds
• Skin rash

Tests that may be done to diagnose this disease include:

• Bleeding time (is prolonged)
• Platelet aggregation test
• Platelet count (may be low or normal)
• Ristocetin cofactor test (the primary assay test used to diagnose von Willebrand disease)
• Von Willebrand factor level (level is reduced)

This disease may also alter the results of the following tests:

• Factor VIII level
• Von Willebrand factor multimers (parts of the von Willebrand factor protein molecule)

Von Willebrand disease may be hard to diagnose. Low von Willebrand factor levels and bleeding do not always mean you have von Willebrand disease.

Review Date: 03/28/2010
Reviewed By: David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine; James R. Mason, MD, Oncologist, Director, Blood and Marrow Transplantation Program and Stem Cell Processing Lab, Scripps Clinic, Torrey Pines, California. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org).

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