Pediatric bleeding disorders

Abstract Diseases that result in an increased risk of excessive bleeding or altered hemostasis are commonly seen during childhood. These range from common inherited conditions such as von Willebrand disease (vWD) to acquired diseases such as immune thrombocytopenic purpura, the most common cause of severe thrombocytopenia in children. Because these diseases pose significant morbidity and mortality, laboratory evaluation for the diagnosis and management of these diseases is often critically important. This chapter will describe the pathophysiology, clinical presentation, and laboratory evaluation of these diseases after a brief discussion of normal hemostasis and the developmental changes in children. Management will be described only briefly, and the reader is encouraged to refer to current guidelines and publications for more details.