Diagnosis and management of von Willebrand disease in Iran

Little information is available on von Willebrand disease (VWD) in Iran. More than 900 patients with VWD are registered, but the real number of patients with VWD is likely to be larger. Fifteen hemophilia treatment centers in addition to 31 other academic centers are the main sites for the clinical management and treatment of VWD in Iran. All centers are staffed by specialists in the medical care of VWD. Epistaxis and menorrhagia are the most frequent clinical manifestations in Iranian patients with VWD. Von Willebrand factor/factor VIII concentrates, desmopressin, cryoprecipitates, and tranexamic acid are the main medications used routinely in Iranian patients, and they are administered based on the type of disease, the severity of bleeding, and sometimes for the prevention of bleeding during surgical procedures or delivery. It is hoped that the recent creation of a national registry for coagulation disorders and improvements in laboratory techniques will improve the diagnosis, national patients' registry, and management of VWD in Iranian patients and lead to gains in their quality of life in the near future.