Acquired von Willebrand's disease associated with gastrointestinal angiodysplasia: a case report

Abstract

Acquired von Willebrand syndrome (AVWS) is a rare and probably underestimated bleeding disorder which mimics most of the clinical symptoms and laboratory features of hereditary von Willebrand disease (VWD) in patients devoid of both personal and family history of bleeding diathesis. In this study, we present a case of 55 yrs male patient, presented with gastrointestinal bleeds since three years, diagnosed to have AVWS with inhibitors. From this study it is concluded that AVWS is rare and it is important to diagnose this bleeding disorder so that appropriate treatment with plasmapheresis and IV:Ig can effectively correct the haemostatic defect and manage severe bleeding in these patients.