THE PROBLEM OF DIAGNOSING VON-WILLEBRANDS-DISEASE

Diagnosis of von Willebrand's disease (vWD), particularly vWD Type I, remains a clinical problem for several aspects. Its definitive diagnos is requires documentation of three factors: bleeding, low levels of qu alitively normal von Willebrand factor (vWF), and inheritance. In the absence of any of these factors the diagnosis may be only merely 'poss ible', or even unacceptable. Laboratory diagnosis of vWD includes scre ening tests and confirmatory tests. vWD Types 2 and 3 are relatively e asy to diagnose and appear to be genetic disease of a single locus, th e VWF gene. As new genetic and possibly non-genetic factors are discov ered, the diagnosis of vWD Type 1 may become easier.