What is Glanzmann's thrombasthenia?

Glanzmann’s thrombasthenia (GT) is a rare inherited bleeding disorder affecting platelets. Platelets are cells in the blood which stick to each other in a clump at the site of bleeding. This helps to stop the bleeding and forms a platform for the rest of the clotting process to take place.

GT is caused by a deficiency in or dysfunction of the GPIIb-IIIa protein on platelets. This protein is important to make platelets ‘stick’ to each other at the site of bleeding. In people with GT, serious bleeds can occur spontaneously and from trivial injuries, such as losing baby teeth in childhood and in relation to surgery.

Last updated: March 2009
CAID/SUEC/HAEM28