Testing for Bernard-Soulier Syndrome

In some people with BSS , the platelet count is slightly below normal.

A person with BSS can have a very long bleeding time.  It may take more than 20 minutes for the bleeding to stop from a small cut.  Their results with the PFA 100® will also be abnormal.

When viewed under the microscope, the platelets of people with BSS are much larger than normal.

An important test for BSS is for platelet aggregation.  When the antibiotic ristocetin is mixed with the patient’s platelets, it does not make them clump together as it would with normal platelets.