von Willebrand disease and women’s health

In 1926 von Willebrand described a bleeder family in Aland; this condition became known as von Willebrand disease (VWD). von Willebrand noted that “the trait seemed especially to be seen among the women.” Today, the use of a pictorial bleeding assessment chart (PBAC) has enabled the prevalence of VWD to be established among women presenting with menorrhagia, as well as the documentation of this symptom in women with known VWD and the assessment of treatment response in menorrhagia. Treatments for menorrhagia include tranexamic acid, desmopressin (DDAVP) administered either intranasally or subcutaneously, the oral contraceptive pill, the “Mirena” coil (Schering Oy, Turku, Finland), and endometrial ablation. Von Willebrand factor (VWF) shows strong cyclical variation, with peak values occurring in the luteal phase. Although increased in pregnancy, levels of VWF decline postnatally and the incidence of both primary and secondary postpartum hemorrhage is high (20% to 25%). Baseline VWF levels less than 15 IU/dL are unlikely to reach greater than 50 IU/dL in the third trimester, and therefore prophylaxis with DDAVP or VWF-containing concentrate to cover delivery should be considered.