von Willebrand disease, inherited blood disorder characterized by a prolonged bleeding time and a deficiency of factor VIII, an important blood-clotting agent. Von Willebrand disease is caused by deficiencies in von Willebrand factor (vWF), a molecule that facilitates platelet adhesion and is a plasma carrier for factor VIII.
There are several different forms of von Willebrand disease. Type 1 is the most common and mildest form of the disease. Type 2 is subdivided into four additional subtypes of varying severity. Types 1 and 2 are inherited as autosomal dominant traits. Type 3, the most severe form, is recessive and requires that the trait be inherited from both parents. Von Willebrand disease may also be acquired (acquired von Willebrand syndrome), with signs and symptoms appearing in adulthood; the acquired form, which tends to occur in conjunction with immune disorders, is not caused by an inherited defect.
Symptoms of von Willebrand disease usually include abnormal bruising, bleeding from mucosal surfaces such as the gums and the gastrointestinal tract, and prolonged bleeding from any break in the skin or during surgery. The level of vWF and the severity of the disease vary over time, often as a result of hormonal or immune responses. Von Willebrand disease is diagnosed by blood tests, primarily to measure vWF levels and factor VIII activity.
Von Willebrand disease is chronic, with no cure. Symptoms can be controlled, however, with desmopressin (DDAVP), a drug that increases levels of factor VIII and vWF, or with plasma-derived factor VIII preparations. See also thrombocytopathy.