ACQUIRED TYPE 2A VON-WILLEBRANDS-DISEASE - RESPONSE TO IMMUNOGLOBULININFUSION

A 75-year-old male presented with new symptoms of a bleeding diathesis associated with a decline in the functional activity of von Willebran d factor (type 2a von Willebrand's disease). Replacement therapy was i neffective and he was subsequently treated with intravenous immunoglob ulin (IvIg). IvIg not only caused symptomatic improvement but was show n to transiently restore the depleted von Willebrand factor intermedia te and high molecular weight multimers, Subsequent periodic IvIg infus ions have been used successfully to treat bleeding complications in th is patient over the past 3 years, A secondary cause for the acquired v on Willebrand's disease has not been identified.