Soru

Zorluk: ZorInterpreting Laboratory Results

An outpatient evaluation is conducted for a 26-year-old female who reports a lifelong history of recurrent epistaxis and menorrhagia. Her menstrual periods typically last 88 to 1010 days and require changing a highly absorbent pad every 22 hours. One month ago, she required suturing and localized thrombin application for persistent oozing following a routine dental extraction. The patient takes an oral contraceptive pill and an over-the-counter iron supplement. Family history is notable for a mother who underwent a hysterectomy at age 4040 for heavy uterine bleeding.

Vital signs are normal. Physical examination reveals scattered, small ecchymoses on the shins but is otherwise unremarkable; there are no petechiae or joint effusions.

Initial laboratory studies reveal:
Complete blood count:
Hemoglobin: 10.8 g/dL10.8 \text{ g/dL}
Mean corpuscular volume: 76 fL76 \text{ fL}
Platelet count: 285,000/μL285,000 /\mu\text{L}

Coagulation profile:
Prothrombin time (PT): 12.5 seconds12.5 \text{ seconds} (Reference: 11−15 seconds11-15 \text{ seconds})
Activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT): 52 seconds52 \text{ seconds} (Reference: 25−40 seconds25-40 \text{ seconds})
aPTT mixing study (1:1 with normal plasma): 31 seconds31 \text{ seconds}

Further hemostatic testing:
Platelet Function Analyzer (PFA-100) closure times:
Collagen/Epinephrine: 185 seconds185 \text{ seconds} (Reference: 84−160 seconds84-160 \text{ seconds})
Collagen/ADP: 142 seconds142 \text{ seconds} (Reference: 68−121 seconds68-121 \text{ seconds})
Factor VIII activity: 35%35\% (Reference: 50−150%50-150\%)

Based on the interpretation of these laboratory findings, which of the following is the most likely diagnosis?

  1. A
    Hemophilia A
  2. B
    Lupus anticoagulant
  3. C
    Bernard-Soulier syndrome
  4. D
    Immune thrombocytopenia
  5. von Willebrand diseaseCevap

Cevap

von Willebrand disease
The correct answer is von Willebrand disease because it uniquely bridges primary and secondary hemostatic defects. von Willebrand factor (vWF) serves two critical roles: it mediates platelet adhesion to damaged endothelium (accounting for the mucosal bleeding and prolonged PFA-100) and it acts as a carrier protein that protects Factor VIII from rapid proteolytic degradation in the circulation. A deficiency in vWF therefore leads to mildly reduced Factor VIII levels, causing an isolated prolongation of the aPTT that fully corrects when missing factors are supplied via a 1:1 mixing study with normal plasma.

Adım Adım Çözüm

1
Analyze the clinical presentation and initial laboratory results to identify the bleeding pattern.
The patient has a history of mucocutaneous bleeding (epistaxis, menorrhagia) indicating a primary hemostasis defect, alongside a prolonged aPTT indicating an intrinsic pathway coagulation defect.
Identifying whether bleeding is due to primary hemostasis (platelet/vessel wall) or secondary hemostasis (coagulation cascade) narrows the differential diagnosis.
2
Interpret the 1:1 mixing study results.
The prolonged aPTT of 52 seconds corrects to 31 seconds (normal) when mixed with normal plasma.
A corrected mixing study indicates a coagulation factor deficiency rather than the presence of an inhibitor (such as a lupus anticoagulant or acquired factor inhibitor).
3
Synthesize the PFA-100, Factor VIII, and mixing study findings to establish the final diagnosis.
The patient has abnormal platelet function (prolonged PFA-100) despite normal platelet numbers, combined with reduced Factor VIII activity.
von Willebrand factor (vWF) is required for both platelet adhesion (primary hemostasis) and the stabilization of Factor VIII in the plasma (secondary hemostasis). A deficiency in vWF perfectly explains the dual defect.

Anahtar Kavram

von Willebrand disease characteristically presents with both a primary hemostatic defect (prolonged PFA-100 or bleeding time) and a secondary hemostatic defect (prolonged aPTT that corrects on mixing study due to low Factor VIII stabilization).
Bu soruyu puanla