When age is truly only a number: late diagnosis of von Willebrand disease type 2B in a 61-year-old woman.

von Willebrand disease (VWD) type 2B is a rare bleeding disorder, presenting with moderate-to-severe lifelong bleeding. We present the case of a 61-year-old woman who was misdiagnosed as immune thrombocytopenic purpura during her three pregnancies resulting in a delayed diagnosis of VWD type 2B. This genetically confirmed diagnosis resulted in testing and the establishment of the diagnosis in her otherwise asymptomatic adult son as well. VWD may not be diagnosed till beyond mid adulthood in women with thrombocytopenia previously attributed to pregnancy and should be considered as a differential in female patients developing thrombocytopenia less than 100 x 10(3)/mu l with an increased bleeding assessment tool score.