title: Von Willebrand disease in sub-Saharan Africa: a first severe case reported in Cameroon.
abstract: In Cameroon, the Yaoundé Hemophilia Treatment Center (HTC) has so far recorded 121 cases of hemophilia and only 10 cases of von Willebrand disease (VWD). We report the case of a 16-year-old girl, living in the north of Cameroon. She presented with severe meno-metrorrhagia, which had increased drastically within the past 3 months, associated more recently by gum bleeding and epistaxis. The coagulation screen showed a prolonged bleeding time. The clinical profile of this young girl and the findings of less than 5% for von Willebrand factor (VWF):Ag and 10% for VWF Ristocetin cofactor suggests a type 3 VWD. Screening for VWF:Ag and other inherited bleeding disorders in Cameroon is still rudimentary, and although VWD is more common than hemophilia, we report this case to highlight some of the challenges faced in resource-limited contexts.
authors.affiliation: aFaculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Yaoundé IbHematology and Blood Transfusion Unit, University Teaching Hospital of Yaoundé, Yaoundé, CamerooncDivision of Angiology and Hemostasis, Geneva University Hospitals, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Claude T
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Tagny
authors.forename: Pauline N
authors.initials: PN
authors.lastname: Balôgôg
authors.forename: Francoise
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Boehlen
authors.forename: Dora
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mbanya
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002163:Cameroon; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D014842:von Willebrand Diseases / Q000097:blood*