FACTOR-V-LEIDEN MUTATION DOES NOT ACCOUNT FOR CENTRAL VENOUS CATHETER-RELATED THROMBOSIS

Indwelling central Venous access devices are frequently associated wit h catheter-related thrombosis. The factor V Leiden gene mutation decre ases the sensitivity of factor V to the anticoagulant activity of acti vated protein C, and has been shown to be the most common inherited de fect associated with a hypercoagulable state. In this study, we sought to determine whether an increased prevalence of the factor V gene mut ation could be identified in individuals with malignancies who had cat heter-related thrombosis. Twenty-seven patients who had catheter-relat ed thrombosis were identified and two (7%) tested positive for the het erozygous presence of the factor V gene mutation. Since the vast major ity of patients with venous access devices who developed catheter-rela ted thrombosis did not have the factor V gene mutation, pre-catheter p lacement testing for this mutation would have limited clinical utility . (C) 1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc.