Stem Cell Transplant in Severe Glanzmann Thrombasthenia in an Adult Patient

Glanzmann Thrombasthenia: Perspectives from Clinical Practice on Accurate Diagnosis and Optimal Treatment Strategies

Glanzmann thrombasthenia (GT) is a rare autosomal recessive disorder of fibrinogen-mediated platelet aggregation due to a quantitative or qualitative deficit of the α_IIbβ₃ integrin at the platelet surface membrane resulting from mutation(s) in ITGA2B and/or ITGB3. Patients tend to present in early childhood with easy bruising and mucocutaneous bleeding. The diagnostic process requires consideration of more common disorders of haemostasis and coagulation prior to confirming the disorder with platelet light transmission aggregation, flow cytometry of CD41 and CD61 expression, and/or exon sequencing of ITGA2B and ITGB3. Antifibrinolytic therapy, recombinant activated factor VII, and platelet transfusions are the mainstay of therapy, although the latter may trigger formation of anti-platelet antibodies in GT patients and inadvertent platelet-refractory disease. The management of these patients therefore remains complex, particularly in the context of trauma, labour and delivery, and perioperative care. Bone marrow transplantation remains the sole curative option, although the venue of gene therapy is being increasingly explored as a future alternative for definitive treatment of GT.

Management of Refractory Menstrual Bleeding in an Adolescent with Glanzmann Thrombasthenia: A Case Report and Review

Glanzmann Thrombasthenia is a rare bleeding disorder causing life-threatening bleeding at menarche in the adolescent female. Bleeding often necessitates admission and multiple blood transfusions. Due to the rarity of the disease, management of acute bleeding in new-onset menarche poses a particular challenge. A 12-year-old menarchial female had persistent vaginal bleeding despite multiple treatment modalities including aminocaproic acid, recombinant factor VIIa, intravenous estrogen, and gonadotropin receptor hormone agonists. Although the standard treatment of bleeding in patients with GT is primarily rFVIIa, new-onset menstrual bleeding in conjunction with an immature hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis often requires expanding treatment to include multiple drug modalities. In our case, a two-step approach was necessary. The first is targeting the cessation of the first menses. The second is optimizing ongoing management of long-term control of heavy menstrual bleeding to achieve amenorrhea, prevent further hospital admissions, and avoid recurrent transfusions.

Glanzmann thrombasthenia: genetic basis and clinical correlates

Glanzmann thrombasthenia (GT) is an autosomal recessive disorder of platelet aggregation caused by quantitative or qualitative defects in integrins αIIb and β3. These integrins are encoded by the ITGA2B and ITGB3 genes and form platelet glycoprotein (GP)IIb/IIIa, which acts as the principal platelet receptor for fibrinogen. Although there is variability in the clinical phenotype, most patients present with severe mucocutaneous bleeding at an early age. A classic pattern of abnormal platelet aggregation, platelet glycoprotein expression and molecular studies confirm the diagnosis. Management of bleeding is based on a combination of hemostatic agents including recombinant activated factor VII with or without platelet transfusions and antifibrinolytic agents. Refractory bleeding and platelet alloimmunization are common complications. In addition, pregnant patients pose unique management challenges. This review highlights clinical and molecular aspects in the approach to patients with GT, with particular emphasis on the significance of multidisciplinary care.