Platelet dependent von Willebrand factor activity. Nomenclature and methodology: communication from the SSC of the ISTH

Von Willebrand disease (VWD) is the most common bleeding disorder in man[1]. Measuring VWF functional activity is critical for making the correct diagnosis and classification. Traditionally considered the "gold standard" for evaluating platelet-dependent VWF function, the ristocetin cofactor activity (VWF:RCo) assay was developed after the discovery of platelet aggregation by ristocetin[2-6]. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.