Glanzmann thrombasthenia is a bleeding disorder that is characterized by prolonged or spontaneous bleeding starting from birth. People with Glanzmann thrombasthenia tend to bruise easily, have frequent nosebleeds (epistaxis), and may bleed from the gums. They may also develop red or purple spots on the skin caused by bleeding underneath the skin (petechiae) or swelling caused by bleeding within tissues (hematoma). Glanzmann thrombasthenia can also cause prolonged bleeding following injury, trauma, or surgery (including dental work). Women with this condition can have prolonged and sometimes abnormally heavy menstrual bleeding. Affected women also have an increased risk of excessive blood loss during pregnancy and childbirth.\n\nAbout a quarter of individuals with Glanzmann thrombasthenia have bleeding in the gastrointestinal tract, which often occurs later in life. Rarely, affected individuals have bleeding inside the skull (intracranial hemorrhage) or joints (hemarthrosis).\n\nThe severity and frequency of the bleeding episodes in Glanzmann thrombasthenia can vary greatly among affected individuals, even in the same family. Spontaneous bleeding tends to become less frequent with age.

Glanzmann thrombasthenia-2 (GT2) is an autosomal recessive bleeding disorder characterized by failure of platelet aggregation and by absent or diminished clot retraction. The abnormalities are related to quantitative or qualitative abnormalities of the GPIIb (607759)/IIIa platelet surface fibrinogen receptor complex resulting from mutations in the GPIIIa gene (Rosenberg et al., 1997). For a general phenotypic description and a discussion of genetic heterogeneity of Glanzmann thrombasthenia, see 273800.