Nearly everyone who has von Willebrand disease (VWD) was born with the condition. VWD is passed from parent to child in certain families. However, because symptoms may be mild, a family member could have VWD and never know it. Also, because this disorder runs in families, people with VWD often have relatives with some form of unusual bleeding.
VWD is passed from parent to child in a pattern called autosomal dominant inheritance. This means that if one parent has VWD, the child typically has a 50% chance of inheriting a form of the disease. If both parents have VWD, the child could inherit either a mild (50% chance) or severe (25% chance) form of the disease.
No racial or ethnic associations have been identified with VWD. A family history of a bleeding disorder is the primary risk factor, though in rare cases VWD develops in a patient without family history of the disorder.
Last Updated:
6/29/2009 12:04 PM