Genetic characterization of families with von Willebrand disease
von Willebrand disease (VWD) is the most common hereditary bleeding disorder. It is caused by quantitative and/or qualitative defects of the von Willebrand factor (VWF). The severity of the disease can vary considerably, as can the hereditary patterns. The variable phenotypes of VWD have given rise to a classification scheme that divides the disease into three types according to how it is manifest