Nasal packing with strips of cured pork as treatment for uncontrollable epistaxis in a patient with Glanzmann thrombasthenia.

OBJECTIVES: Glanzmann thrombasthenia is a rare disorder of platelet function that may result in life-threatening hemorrhage, particularly from the nasal vaults. Various medical therapies (such as recombinant factor VII, antifibrinolytic agents, and blood transfusions) and surgical therapies (such as nasal packing, electrocautery, laser coagulation, septoplasty, and embolization) have been described with various degrees of success.

METHODS: We present a unique case report of a 4-year-old child with known Glanzmann thrombasthenia and two separate episodes of life-threatening epistaxis that were treated successfully by nasal packing with strips of cured pork because of special circumstances.

RESULTS: Cured salted pork crafted as a nasal tampon and packed within the nasal vaults successfully stopped nasal hemorrhage promptly, effectively, and without sequelae. In both applications, the patient had complete cessation of nasal bleeding within 24 hours, and was discharged within 72 hours after treatment.

CONCLUSIONS: To our knowledge, this represents the first description of nasal packing with strips of cured pork for treatment of life-threatening hemorrhage in a patient with Glanzmann thrombasthenia.