A Case of Catheter-related Thrombosis Treated with Local Low-dose Urokinase

ABSTRACT

Although indwelling central venous catheters guarantee a reliable vascular access, and are essential for the management of children undergoing anticancer chemotherapy or stem cell transplantation, these catheters may cause serious mechanical, infectious and thrombotic complications. Central venous catheter-related thrombosis is one of the most important complications that may interfere with the course of treatment. A number of regimens utilizing urokinase have been used but the optimum management of this common problem remains undetermined. We report an 8 year-old boy, who had catheter-related atrial thrombus treated successfully with urokinase. A short course treatment with the use of low-dose urokinase was feasible for the thrombolysis of catheter-related right atrial thrombus in this boy diagnosed with neuroblastoma and undergoing high-dose chemotherapy with autologous peripheral blood stem cell rescue. This treatment was not associated with bleeding.