ABSTRACT
An 85-year-old woman with Alzheimer's disease is referred to the haematology clinic for investigation of unexplained bruising and oral bleeding of recent onset. She has been looked after in the same nursing home for the last 5 years. In the last 6 months, her family had noticed on numerous occasions unexplained bruises up to 20 cm across and suspected the staff in the home of physical abuse. She is unable to give a coherent history. According to the general practitioner (GP) records, there is no history of unexpected bleeding prior to 6 months ago and she had five deliveries without any abnormal bleeding.
