The most common inherited bleeding disorder is which of the following?

The most common inherited bleeding disorder is which of the following?

• A. Hemophilia A
• B. Hemophilia B
• C. von Willebrand disease
• D. Factor V deficiency

Answer: (C)

von Willebrand disease is the most common inherited bleeding disorder because it involves a defect in von Willebrand factor, a protein that is essential for both platelet adhesion to damaged blood vessels and for stabilizing factor VIII in the circulation. When vWF is deficient or dysfunctional, you get a tendency to mucocutaneous bleeding—nosebleeds, easy bruising, heavy menses, and prolonged bleeding after minor injuries or dental work. Its inheritance is usually autosomal dominant, so it affects both sexes and appears in many families, making it far more prevalent in the general population than other inherited bleeding disorders. In contrast, hemophilia A and B are X-linked conditions caused by deficiencies of factor VIII and factor IX, respectively. They predominantly affect males and characteristically cause deep tissue and joint bleeds, which is a different bleeding pattern and occurs in a smaller fraction of the population than vWD. Factor V deficiency is extremely rare, not a common cause of inherited bleeding. So, the best answer is von Willebrand disease because it is the most common inherited bleeding disorder with a broad, often milder bleeding phenotype that affects both sexes.

von Willebrand disease is the most common inherited bleeding disorder because it involves a defect in von Willebrand factor, a protein that is essential for both platelet adhesion to damaged blood vessels and for stabilizing factor VIII in the circulation. When vWF is deficient or dysfunctional, you get a tendency to mucocutaneous bleeding—nosebleeds, easy bruising, heavy menses, and prolonged bleeding after minor injuries or dental work. Its inheritance is usually autosomal dominant, so it affects both sexes and appears in many families, making it far more prevalent in the general population than other inherited bleeding disorders.

In contrast, hemophilia A and B are X-linked conditions caused by deficiencies of factor VIII and factor IX, respectively. They predominantly affect males and characteristically cause deep tissue and joint bleeds, which is a different bleeding pattern and occurs in a smaller fraction of the population than vWD. Factor V deficiency is extremely rare, not a common cause of inherited bleeding.

So, the best answer is von Willebrand disease because it is the most common inherited bleeding disorder with a broad, often milder bleeding phenotype that affects both sexes.