PhD defence Amaury Louise L Monard
Supervisors: Prof. dr. ir. Y.M.C. Henskens, Prof. dr. E.A.M. Beckers
Co-supervisor: Dr. F.C.J.I. Heubel-Moenen
Keywords: Bleeding disorders of unknown cause, Hemostasis, Laboratory diagnostics, Global hemostasis assays
"Exploring Bleeding Disorders of Unknown Cause: Novel Perspectives from Global and Flow-Based Hemostasis Assays"
A large proportion of patients with bleeding symptoms do not receive a clear explanation from current diagnostic tests. These patients are diagnosed with Bleeding Disorder of Unknown Cause (BDUC): a bleeding disorder without an identifiable cause. This thesis investigated whether global and flow-based hemostasis assays can provide an explanation for their bleeding problems. First, it mapped which laboratory tests are needed to exclude known bleeding disorders. It then investigated whether advanced laboratory tests can detect abnormalities that remain hidden with standard tests. These tests examine platelet function, the formation and breakdown of blood clots and, using the Maastricht flow chamber, blood clot formation under conditions that mimic blood flow. The results show that these tests can identify abnormalities in subgroups of patients with BDUC, providing clues about where the underlying bleeding problem may lie.
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