RIGHT INTRAVENTRICULAR THROMBUS, A RARE C OMPLICATION OF CAVAL CATHETERIZATION

Background. Thrombus formation is one of the main complications of the catheterization used for total parenteral nutrition. Its location ins ide the right ventricle is exceptional. This paper describes such a ca se. Case report. A boy was born at the gestational age of 35 weeks, we ighing 2 640 g. He developed acute respiratory distress followed by pr olonged diarrhea that required parenteral nutrition. A catheter was in serted into his right subclavian vein when he was aged 5 weeks. The pa tient developed septic shock with multivisceral failure 8 days later. Blood cultures showed Staphylococcus aureus. Despite symptomatic thera py and antibiotics, the baby developed thrombosis of the superior vena cava with no right atrial thrombus, that required removal of the cath eter. Angiography and Doppler echocardiography performed 2 and 3 weeks later showed a thrombus in the right ventricle that disappeared withi n 2 weeks after prolonged antibiotic and heparin therapy. Conclusion. Repeated Doppler echocardiography is necessary to monitor prolonged to tal parenteral nutrition. Intracardiac thrombus can be detected; this is more frequently located in the atrium than in the ventricle.