title: Patients with prolonged bleeding time of undefined etiology, and their response to desmopressin.
abstract: Between 1981 and 1986, we evaluated 59 patients who presented with isolated prolongation of bleeding time with normal platelet counts, platelet aggregation and coagulation parameters (including von Willebrand's factor), and without evidence of liver or kidney disease, or exposure to anti-platelet agents. These patients, termed as vascular fragility syndrome (VFS), were analyzed to further characterize their bleeding patterns. The pattern of bleeding manifestations was similar to that of patients with platelet dysfunction, such as mucocutaneous bleeding or excessive post-operative bleeding. In 16 patients, desmopressin (1-desamino-8-d-arginine vasopressin, DDAVP) was infused to control active bleeding or as a part of pre-surgical evaluation. Bleeding time improved (pre-DDAVP bleeding time 15.3 +/- 3.4 min, mean +/- S.D.; post-DDAVP bleeding time 10.7 +/- 3.9 min; p less than 0.01) within 30 minutes following the DDAVP infusion with either satisfactory arrest of acute bleeding or good control of subsequent hemostasis with surgery. Side effects with DDAVP were transient and minor, i.e. facial flushing, or conjunctival erythema. These findings indicate that VFS with isolated prolongation of bleeding time is a frequently encountered bleeding disorder and that DDAVP is effective in achieving hemostasis for the management of acute bleeding and may be useful prior to surgical procedures.
authors.affiliation: Division of Hematology-Oncology, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick 08903.
authors.forename: H C
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Salva
authors.forename: P L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Fallot
authors.forename: G I
authors.initials: GI
authors.lastname: Karp
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Eisele
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Matts
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Heller
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Saidi
mesh_terms: D001760:Bleeding Time; D003894:Deamino Arginine Vasopressin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006474:Hemorrhagic Disorders / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics; D006487:Hemostasis / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous; D008297:Male; D010375:Pedigree
chemical_list: D003894:Deamino Arginine Vasopressin