The problem of diagnosing von Willebrand's disease

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