SPONTANEOUS NEONATAL ARTERIAL THROMBOSIS TREATED WITH RECOMBINANT TISSUE-PLASMINOGEN ACTIVATOR

Background. - Spontaneous neonatal arterial thrombosis is a rare entit y with serious and potentially fatal complications. A wide spectrum of management has been proposed. Case report. - Ophelie was born after p remature delivery at 33 weeks. She was referred soon after birth in th e neonatal intensive care unit for respiratory distress syndrome. Spon taneous acute ischemia of the right lower limb was noted soon after ad mission. Iliac thrombosis was confirmed by ultrasonography and colour coded doppler. Thrombolysis was achieved with systemic infusion of rec ombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rtPA). Full recovery was obtain ed within 12 hours of treatment without any complication. No rethrombo sis occurred with heparin prophylaxis. No predisposing disorder to thr ombosis was found. Conclusion. - Systemic rtPA is an alternative to th rombectomy and urokinase in critically ill neonates. This treatment sh ould be considered if no major risk of bleeding is found during the pr etherapeutic screening.