GATA1-related cytopenia is characterized by thrombocytopenia and/or anemia ranging from mild to severe. One or more of the following may also be present: platelet dysfunction, mild ß-thalassemia, neutropenia, and congenital erythropoietic porphyria (CEP) in males. Thrombocytopenia typically presents in infancy as a bleeding disorder with easy bruising and mucosal bleeding (e.g., epistaxis). Anemia ranges from minimal (mild dyserythropoiesis) to severe (hydrops fetalis requiring in utero transfusion). At the extreme end of the clinical spectrum, severe hemorrhage and/or erythrocyte transfusion dependence are life long; at the milder end, anemia and the risk for bleeding may decrease spontaneously with age. Heterozygous females may have mild-to-moderate symptoms such as menorrhagia.

Thrombocytopenia-7 (THC7) is an autosomal dominant disorder characterized by reduced peripheral platelet count. The expression and severity of the disorder is highly variable: some patients have no bleeding symptoms, whereas other have recurrent petechiae, epistaxis, or more severe bleeding episodes. A common finding is decreased alpha-granules in the platelets. There are variable findings on light and electron microscopic analysis: some patients have normal platelet morphology, whereas others show abnormal platelet morphology with cytoskeletal defects. Flow cytometric studies may show reduced expression of platelet membrane glycoproteins and activation markers (summary by Lentaigne et al., 2019 and Leinoe et al., 2021). For a general phenotypic description and a discussion of genetic heterogeneity of thrombocytopenia, see 313900.