Pediatric Thrombophilia

KEY POINTS

• Venous thromboembolic events (VTE), arterial thrombosis, and stroke (arterial ischemic stroke [AIS] or cerebral sinus venous thrombosis [CSVT]) are  increasingly recognized in the pediatric population, and occur during 2 peak times during childhood, in the neonatal and adolescent age groups.
• In comparison with adults, acquired medical risk factors play a larger role than inherited thrombophilia in the mechanism of disease in children.
• Inherited thrombophilias have a stronger influence than VTE on pediatric stroke.
• Thrombophilia testing is indicated in adolescents with spontaneous thrombosis, and in neonates/children with non–catheter-related thrombosis and stroke.
• There are insufficient data to recommend routine thrombophilia testing in neonates/children with catheter-related thrombosis; the need for thrombophilia testing should be determined by individual institutions and on a case-by-case basis.

Pediatr Clin N Am 60 (2013) 1443–1462
https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.pcl.2013.09.004