The use of desmopressin in the management of two patients with von Willebrand's disease undergoing periodontal surgery. 2 case reports.

Von Willebrand's disease is a genetic bleeding disorder characterized by either a reduced plasma concentration of von Willebrand's factor (vWF) or a qualitative deficiency in that vWF which is produced. Previous therapy consisted of injecting concentrates of vWF manufactured from the pooled plasma of multiple donors. With the increased incidence and risk of serum borne transmission of such diseases as hepatitis and AIDS, the advantages of an alternative mode of therapy was obvious. In the course of using 1-desamino-8-D-arginine (desmopressin or DDAVP, a synthetic analogue of 8-arginine vasopressin, a hormone secreted in the posterior pituitary gland) in the treatment of diabetes insipidus, it was discovered that this drug causes the release of bound vWF into the plasma. The elevation lasts for several hours and is effective in producing hemostasis in some types of mild to moderate von Willebrand's disease. In 1984, desmopressin was approved for this usage in the United States. This paper discusses the use of DDAVP in the management of von Willebrand's disease and present two case reports of patients with von Willebrand's disease and in need of periodontal surgery.