Coagulation disorders: Inflammation and thrombosis

Abstract

With a fifteen-fold increase in rate compared with infants and children, thrombosis is an important problem in the neonate. Most neonatal thromboses are diagnosed in the intensive care nursery in association with myriad underlying disorders, many of which are inflammatory. Clinically, most cases of neonatal thrombosis occur in two discrete populations: spontaneous perinatal events (primarily stroke and renal vein thrombosis) or catheter-related thrombosis related to neonatal intensive supportive care. The relationship of inflammation to these two categories of thrombosis is currently unknown.