Acquired von Willebrand's syndrome and thrombopathy in a patient with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia.

This paper reports the biological data found during an acquired bleeding disorder occurring in a 65-year-old woman affected with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia. They consists of haemostatic abnormalities which resemble an presently undescribed association of an acquired von Willebrand's syndrome with a thrombopathy. von Willebrand abnormalities were temporarily corrected by infusion of normal cryoprecipitate and reproduced in vitro by the incubation of normal platelets with the patient's IgA. The platelet defect was partially corrected after corticotherapy. The possible relationship of the associated defects is discussed.