Comparison of factor VIII levels after adrenalin in classic hemophilia and von Willebrand's disease (vWd)

The factor VIII response to adrenalin was compared in 5 patients with von Willebrand's disease (vWd) and 10 hemophiliacs with baseline factor VIII procoagulant activity (VIII AHF) of 0.01 u/ml or greater. Patients with vWd showed a two-fold VIII AHF increase, while those with hemophilia showed no significant change 1 hr following the subcutaneous injection of adrenalin. These results suggest that the adrenalin stimulation test may be of value in distinguishing certain patients with mild hemophilia from those with vWd.