Re-evaluation of plasmas from patients previously diagnosed as having von Willebrand's disease with the factor VIII-related antigen and ristocetin cofactor assay.

Diagnosis of deficiencies of coagulation factor VIII can be difficult to establish in some cases. The use of the factor VIII-related antigen and the use of the ristocetin cofactor assays have increased the reliability of diagnosis of factor VIII deficiency in patients with hemophilia A or von Willebrand's disease, and in carriers of hemophilia A. The authors re-evaluated samples, from frozen storage, of blood from patients previously diagnosed as having von Willebrand's disease. This diagnosis was based on clinical history, family history, bleeding time, factor VIII procoagulant activity, and response to ristocetin in platelet-aggregation studies. Eleven cases were studied by the review of previously obtained data and the addition of the factor VIII-related antigen and ristocetin-cofactor assays. In two of eleven cases, the diagnosis was changed to possible hemophilia A carrier state.