Bronchial carcinoma in von Willebrand's disease. Successful removal after hemostasis with lyophilized cryoprecipitate.

ABSTRACT

A man with severe von Willebrand's disease who had hemoptysis was followed-up for 2 1/2 years for continued hemoptysis and was discovered to have a bronchial carcinoma. Under close hematological surveillance, an uncomplicated pneumonectomy was performed, using a new factor VIII product--freeze-dried cryoprecipitate. This case illustrates that hemoptysis in von Willebrand's disease cannot always be attributed to the disease itself that continued hemoptysis requires regular bronchoscopy and that major surgery can be performed in von Willebrand's disease with effective correction of the coagulation defect using freeze-dried cryoprecipitate.