Heavy Menstrual Bleeding in Adolescent: Normal or a Sign of an Underlying Disease?

Author(s):  
Kaisu Luiro ◽  
Elina Holopainen

AbstractHeavy, and often irregular, menstrual bleeding (HMB) is a common gynecologic complaint among adolescents. During the first few post-menarcheal years, anovulatory cycles related to immaturity of the hypothalamic–pituitary–ovarian axis are the most common etiology for abnormal uterine bleeding and should be considered as a part of normal pubertal development rather than a disease. If an already regular menstrual cycle becomes irregular, secondary causes of anovulation should be ruled out. Inherited and acquired bleeding disorders, such as von Willebrand disease, and quantitative and qualitative abnormalities of platelets are relatively common findings in adolescents with HMB from menarche. History of excessive bleeding or a diagnosed bleeding disorder in the family supports this etiology, warranting specialized laboratory testing. First-line treatment of HMB among adolescents is medical management with hormonal therapy or nonhormonal options. Levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine device is an effective tool also for all adolescents with menstrual needs.

Author(s):  
R Sindunata ◽  
M. Y. Probohoesodo

von Willebrand disease (vWD) is an autosomal inherited bleeding disorder caused by a deficiency or abnormality of von Willebrandfactor (vWF). vWF is a large multimeric glycoprotein that mediates platelet adhesion at the site of vessel injury. It also protects factorVIII from proteolytic degradation in the circulation. vWD has a prevalence of about 1% in the general population but less than 10%have bleeding symptoms. Bleeding symptoms are usually mucocutaneous and post surgical with varying severity. This disorder canresult from either a quantitative (types 1 and 3) or qualitative (type 2) defect in vWF. Type 2 vWD has been further classified into fourdistinct subtypes; 2A, 2B, 2M and 2N. The diagnosis of vWD requires attention to personal and family history of excessive bleeding andconfirmation by laboratory evaluation. A mild chronic thrombocytopenia is often seen in type 2B vWD. Patients with mild vWD oftenhave both a normal bleeding time and normal APTT. Specific tests for vWD diagnosis involve vWF antigen level, vWF activity (ristocetincofactor), and factor VIII activity. Once a diagnosis is established, additional tests that aid in classifying the type of vWD includeristocetin-induced platelet aggregation and vWF multimer analysis.


2009 ◽  
Vol 29 (S 01) ◽  
pp. S87-S89 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. Music ◽  
M. Novak ◽  
B. Acham-Roschitz ◽  
W. Muntean

SummaryAim: In children, screening for haemorrhagic disorders is further complicated by the fact that infants and young children with mild disease in many cases most likely will not have a significant history of easy bruising or bleeding making the efficacy of a questionnaire even more questionable. Patients, methods: We compared the questionnaires of a group of 88 children in whom a haemorrhagic disorder was ruled out by rigorous laboratory investigation to a group of 38 children with mild von Willebrand disease (VWD). Questionnaires about child, mother and father were obtained prior to the laboratory diagnosis on the occasion of routine preoperative screening. Results: 23/38 children with mild VWD showed at least one positive question in the questionnaire, while 21/88 without laboratory signs showed at least one positive question. There was a trend to more specific symptoms in older children. Three or more positive questions were found only in VWD patients, but only in a few of the control group. The question about menstrual bleeding in mothers did not differ significantly. Sensitivity of the questionnaire for a hemostatic disorder was 0.60, while specifity was 0.76. The negative predictive value was 0.82, but the positive predictive value was only 0.52. Conclusions: Our small study shows, that a questionnaire yields good results to exclude a haemostatic disorder, but is not a sensitive tool to identify such a disorder.


2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lawrence L K Leung ◽  
James L. Zehnder

A bleeding disorder may be suspected when a patient reports spontaneous or excessive bleeding or bruising, often secondary to trauma. Possible causes can vary between abnormal platelet number or function, abnormal vascular integrity, coagulation defects, fibrinolysis, or a combination thereof. This review addresses hemorrhagic disorders associated with quantitative or qualitative platelet abnormalities, such as thrombocytopenia, platelet function disorders, thrombocytosis and thrombocythemia, and vascular purpuras. Hemorrhagic dis­orders associated with abnormalities in coagulation (e.g., von Willebrand disease and hemophilia) are not covered. An algorithm shows evidence-based practice guidelines for the management of immune thrombocytopenic purpura. Tables list questions regarding bleeding and bruising to ask patients, clinical manifestations of hemorrhagic disorders, typical results of tests for hemostatic function in bleeding disorders, causes of thrombocytopenia, other forms of drug-induced thrombocytopenia, classification of platelet function disorders, and selected platelet-modifying agents. This review contains ­1 highly rendered figure, 7 tables, and 82 references. 


2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 192-194
Author(s):  
Patrick Harrington ◽  
Pippa Kyle ◽  
Jacky Cutler ◽  
Bella Madan

We present the obstetric history of a family of three sisters with Von Willebrand disease, managed in our centre over the course of nine successful pregnancies. The abnormalities result from inheritance of an exon 50 skipping mutation in the Von Willebrand factor gene, resulting from consanguinity. Two of the sisters were identified as having a severe phenotype with a Von Willebrand factor level of less than 5 IU/dl, with the other having a mild phenotype. Of the sisters with a severe phenotype, one had a number of prenatal complications and required early onset prophylaxis with Von Willebrand factor concentrate, whilst the other had a less complicated clinical course, only requiring Von Willebrand factor concentrate to cover labour. The sister with mild Von Willebrand disease had a rise in Von Willebrand factor levels during pregnancy and required no specialist treatment. The report highlights the markedly different clinical courses that can occur in patients with Von Willebrand disease and the different approaches to management.


2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (8) ◽  
pp. e241613
Author(s):  
Vaishnavi Divya Nagarajan ◽  
Asha Shenoi ◽  
Lucy Burgess ◽  
Vlad C Radulescu

An 18-year-old man with a history of type 3 von Willebrand disease (VWD) presented with a spontaneous pyohaemothorax. Type 3 VWD may present with both mucocutaneous and deep-seated bleeds, such as visceral haemorrhages, intracranial bleeds and haemarthrosis. There have been very few cases described in children of spontaneous pyohaemothorax. Management of this patient was challenging due to risks of bleeding following surgical drainage, requiring constant replacement with von Willebrand factor concentrate, while monitoring factor VIII levels to balance the risks of thrombosis.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kimberly Huhmann ◽  
Andrea Zuckerman

Heavy menstrual bleeding is a common presenting problem in the adolescent population. The average age of menarche is between 12 and 13 years. The most common reason for heavy menstrual bleeding soon after menarche is from an immature hypothalamic ovarian access, which spontaneously resolves once cycles become ovulatory. However, the broad differential diagnosis for heavy menses in adolescents includes coagulopathy, thyroid disease, sexually transmitted infections, specifically chlamydia, and chronic medical conditions. Von Willebrand disease is the most common bleeding disorder that can present with heavy menstrual bleeding at menarche or shortly after. A thorough history and physical exam with occasional labs needs to be completed and can assist in narrowing the differential diagnosis. Treatment of heavy menstrual bleeding consists of hormonal and nonhormonal options: combination oral contraceptive pills, patches, or rings taken continuously or cyclically; progesterone-only pills; progesterone implants; progesterone intrauterine devices; cyclic tranexamic acid; cyclic aminocaproic acid; and GnRH agonists with add-back therapy. This review contains 3 tables, and 28 references. Key Words: adolescent menses, anovulation, bleeding disorder, heavy menstrual bleeding, immature hypothalamic ovarian axis, menarche, treatment of heavy menses, Von Willebrand disease


Haemophilia ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Amanda E. Jacobson‐Kelly ◽  
Sara K. Vesely ◽  
Terah Koch ◽  
Janis Campbell ◽  
Sarah H. O’Brien

Blood ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 136 (Supplement 1) ◽  
pp. 20-21
Author(s):  
Jonathan C. Roberts ◽  
Miguel A. Escobar ◽  
Suchitra Acharya Acharya ◽  
Nina Hwang ◽  
Michael Wang ◽  
...  

Background: Recurrent overt or occult gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding is a serious complication of von Willebrand Disease (VWD) and is the most common cause of hospitalization for patients with VWD. Data from the VWD Prophylaxis Network (VPN) emphasized the importance of prophylaxis in minimizing bleeding episodes in VWD; however, the management of GI bleeding in these patients remains challenging. Despite the availability of von Willebrand factor (VWF) replacement therapy, GI bleeding may be refractory and require the use of multiple treatment approaches. Currently, there are limited published data and no consensus regarding the most effective treatment for GI bleeding in patients with VWD. Aims: To describe the natural history of treatment and management of GI bleeds in patients with VWD, stratified by those patients who have a history of GI bleeding that precedes this chart review versus patients who experienced their first GI bleed within the 5 years of this chart review. Outcomes following the use of VWF replacement products and adjuvant therapy, including recombinant VWF were collected. Methods: This ongoing retrospective, multicenter, observational chart review (abstraction initiated 2019) will include up to 20 patients from 6 US centers with confirmed congenital VWD with ≥1 GI bleed within the last 5 years. Demographics and clinical information, including potential etiology, treatment regimens, will be gathered from patient records on all recorded GI bleeds within the last 5 years. Clinical effectiveness will be defined by treatment response, change in duration of treatment, or time to bleed resolution across treatment cohorts (e.g., prophylaxis vs on-demand; recombinant VWF [rVWF] vs plasma-derived VWF [pdVWF]), at the time of a GI bleed and for any subsequent period of prophylactic treatment to prevent GI bleed recurrence. Data will be analyzed descriptively. Results: To date, data on 37 bleeds in 13 patients with Type 1 (23%), Type 2 (46%) or Type 3 (31%) VWD have been abstracted; 54% were female, mean (±SD) age was 53.9 (22.0) years, 85% had ≥1 recorded GI-specific morbidity, 6 patients (46%) had no history of prior GI bleeding. Three patients (23%) were on regular prophylaxis using pdVWF-factor VIII (FVIII) concentrates at initial GI bleed presentation. All were receiving Humate-P; dose was not recorded for 2 patients and 1 patient received 50 IU/kg. Out of 37 bleeding episodes, 9 (24%) occurred in patients during VWF prophylaxis, of which 7 occurred in 1 patient. Among the 7 patients with a previous history of GI bleeding, 1 was on a prophylactic regimen prior to the initial GI bleeding episode. None of the patients without a history of GI bleeding were on a prophylactic regimen at the initiation of the chart review; 1 patient was receiving prophylaxis at the time the fourth bleed was documented. On-demand treatment for GI bleeding included aminocaproic acid, tranexamic acid, pdVWF-FVIII concentrates, rFVIII, rVWF, corticosteroids, polypectomy, and thalidomide. After resolution of the GI bleeding episode, in 17/37 bleeding events, prophylactic treatment continued (either as part of the final treatment regimen to resolve the bleed and sustained prophylaxis, or after the final treatment regimen purely as prophylaxis). At the conclusion of data collection for the current patients, 4 out of 6 without a GI bleeding history, and 1 out of 7 with a GI bleeding history, were receiving prophylaxis. Conclusions: Data from this retrospective chart review are the first to describe prophylactic regimens prior to and after GI bleeding, in VWD patients with and without a GI bleeding history. More patients with congenital VWD and a history of GI bleeding were treated with prophylaxis following GI bleeds, compared to patients without a history of GI bleeds. These data describe the role of prophylaxis in management of GI bleeding and add to existing data from the VPN describing a modest reduction of GI bleeding in some patients on prophylaxis. These data underscore the continuing unmet need of the successful management of GI bleeding in VWD. Further data will be collected, and additional analyses performed to determine if this trend persists in a larger sample of patients with VWD. Disclosures Roberts: uniQure:Consultancy;Takeda:Consultancy, Research Funding, Speakers Bureau;Pfizer:Consultancy;Novo Nordisk:Consultancy, Speakers Bureau;Sanofi:Consultancy, Speakers Bureau;Octapharma:Consultancy, Speakers Bureau.Escobar:National Hemophilia Foundation:Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees;Takeda:Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees;Sanofi:Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees;Pfizer:Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees;Genentech, Inc.:Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees;Novo Nordisk:Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees.Acharya:Novonordisk, BPL:Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees.Hwang:Takeda:Honoraria;Shire:Honoraria.Wang:Bioverativ Inc:Honoraria;CSL Behring:Honoraria;Biomarin:Honoraria;Genentech:Honoraria;Takeda:Honoraria;Bayer:Honoraria.Hale:Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited:Current Employment.Oladapo:Takeda:Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company.Asghar:HCD Economics:Current Employment.


Blood ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 108 (11) ◽  
pp. 4076-4076 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan Bernstein ◽  
Joan Cox Gill ◽  
Cindy A. Leissinger ◽  
Jorge Di Paola ◽  
Margaret V. Ragni ◽  
...  

Abstract The safety, efficacy, and optimal dosing of a von Willebrand Factor/Factor VIII concentrate (Humate-P®) were evaluated in an open-label, uncontrolled study in patients with von Willebrand disease (VWD) undergoing elective surgery. During an initial pharmacokinetic (PK) phase, a detailed profile of FVIII:C, VWF:RCo, and VWF:AG was obtained for each patient after an infusion of 60 IU VWF:RCo/kg as Humate-P. Individual PK values were used to calculate subsequent loading and maintenance doses. Hemostatic efficacy was characterized using a 4-point scale (excellent, good, moderate/poor, or none) at several time points following surgery. Forty-two adults and children were enrolled in the study (17 VWD type 1; 6 type 2; 13 type 3; 6 type 2M), and 35 of these patients underwent a surgical procedure (classified as 3 oral, 7 minor, and 25 major). The median loading dose administered was 55.6 IU/kg (range 17.4 to 135.3 IU/kg). For patients with more severe VWD (baseline VWF:RCo<12 IU/dL), the median loading dose administered was 70.9 IU/kg (range 38.6 to 135.3 IU/kg). The dosing interval was 8 or 12 hours in most subjects (4 were dosed every 6 hours), and treatment duration ranged from 1 to 6 days depending on surgery type. Effective hemostasis (investigator- rated as “excellent” or “good”) was noted in 91.4% (32/35) of subjects immediately after surgery, 100% (35/35) of subjects 14 days after surgery, and 100% (34/34) of subjects evaluated 24 hours after the last infusion (primary endpoint). Mean blood loss was less than expected, and four patients required transfusions, related to their surgery. Only six adverse events were considered possibly treatment related: headache (3), itching, nausea, and dizziness (1). These results demonstrate that von Willebrand Factor/Factor VIII concentrate is safe and effective in the prevention of excessive bleeding during and after elective surgery in adult and pediatric patients with von Willebrand disease.


Blood ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 116 (21) ◽  
pp. 238-238
Author(s):  
Augusto B. Federici ◽  
Alfonso Iorio ◽  
Giancarlo Castaman

Abstract Abstract 238 Background: Desmopressin (DDAVP) is the treatment of choice for most patients with mild-moderate forms of von Willebrand Disease (VWD) because it can induce the release of von Willebrand Factor (VWF) from cellular compartments. However, despite the widespread use of DDAVP since 1977, there are only a few prospective clinical trials aimed at determining benefits and limits of this approach. Aims and design of the study: To correlate efficacy and safety with biological response of DDAVP in a large cohort of VWD1 and VWD2 patients followed-up for 24 months in a prospective observational study organized on behalf of the Working Party on DDAVP in VWD of the ISTH-SSC on VWF and of Italian Association of Hemophilia Centers (AICE). The study is registered at the EMEA with number EudraCT-2005-004496-38. Patients and Methods: VWD patients were enrolled after obtaining Ethical approval from local IRB. Inclusion criteria: inherited VWD without any age restriction, with previous diagnosis of VWD1 and VWD2 according to ISTH recommendations. Biological response: At enrollment patients were exposed to 0.3 ug/kg DDAVP intravenous injection and to blood withdrawal for measuring VWF/FVIII activities before and after 0.5, 1, 2 and 4 hours. Complete: both VWF:RCo and FVIII:C >50 IU/dL at 2 hours; partial: VWF:RCo or FVIII:C <50 IU/dL but increased at least 3-fold; absent: neither criterion. Clinical Response. Excellent: no excessive bleeding; Good: excess bleeding without need for VWF concentrate; Poor: excess bleeding with need for VWF concentrate. Statistical analyses were performed only on confirmed patients after the blind and independent evaluation by 2 members of the Steering Committee on these criteria: VWD=baseline levels of VWF:RCo <55 U/dL; VWD2= baseline VWF:RCo/Ag ratio≤ 0.6; VWD1 accelerated clearance: rapid increase of VWF:RCo/FVIII after 0.5–1 hrs with return to baseline levels after 2–4 hrs. Results: 229/268 (85%) patients enrolled at 13 participating Centers in Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Germany, Italy and Hungary were found to meet the inclusion criteria. Demographic data and lab tests (mean+SD) at baseline were as follows: Among VWD2, VWD2A(n=15), VWD2B(n=1), VWD2M(n=12), VWD2N(n=3) were identified. Biological response was complete, partial and absent in 89%, 10% and 1% of VWD and correlated with baseline levels of VWF:RCo<30 U/dL (Fisher's exact =0.001). Among VWD1, those (n=15) with C1130F and R1205H mutations showed accelerated clearance. During the 24-month follow-up, 62/86 (72%) patients received >1 injection of DDAVP for bleedings (n=102), deliveries (n=13), dental extractions (n=27), minor/major surgeries (n=46). Total number of injections was 652 with median, range/episode during bleedings (2,1-12), deliveries (3,1-3), dental extractions (1,1-6), surgeries (3.6,1-11). Clinical efficacy was excellent/good in bleedings (92%), deliveries (85%), dental extractions (100%), surgeries (91%). Poor efficacy was observed in 6 cases with VWD2A (n=4) during GI bleedings (n=3) or abdominal surgery (n=1) and VWD1 (n=2) during deliveries and surgery. Side effects observed in 16 patients were mainly minor, such as headache, facial flushing and tachycardia; water retention was reported in 2 cases (1 delivery, 1 surgery) only after >6 injections of the drug. Conclusions: Based on the results of this prospective clinical trial, we confirm that DDAVP is an effective and safe drug at low costs for managing patients with VWD1 and VWD2 once tested for their biological response: therefore it should be always considered as the first approach during bleedings and major/minor surgeries in responsive VWD patients. Disclosures: Federici: CSL Behring: Honoraria, Research Funding.


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