title: Subdural hemorrhages associated with antithrombotic therapy in infants with cerebral atrophy.
abstract: Low-molecular-weight heparins, such as enoxaparin, are often used to treat thrombosis in infants. We present 4 infants with diffuse brain injury who developed cerebral venous sinus thrombosis or deep vein thrombosis and were treated with enoxaparin. These infants subsequently developed subdural hemorrhages, and enoxaparin was stopped. In 3 cases, the subdural hemorrhages were found on routine surveillance brain MRI, and in 1 case imaging was urgently obtained because of focal seizures. Two patients needed urgent neurosurgical intervention, and all subdural hemorrhages improved or resolved on follow-up imaging. Each infant developed severe neurologic deficits, probably from the coexisting diffuse brain injury rather than from the subdural hemorrhages themselves. The risk of intracranial hemorrhage from enoxaparin may be accentuated in patients with diffuse brain injury, and careful consideration should be given before treatment in this population.
authors.affiliation: Divisions of Pediatric Neurology, louisdan@med.umich.edu.
authors.forename: Louis T
authors.initials: LT
authors.lastname: Dang
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, and.
authors.forename: Jordan A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Shavit
authors.affiliation: Divisions of Pediatric Neurology.
authors.forename: Rani K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.affiliation: Divisions of Pediatric Neurology.
authors.forename: Sucheta M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Joshi
authors.affiliation: Divisions of Pediatric Neurology.
authors.forename: Steven M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Leber
authors.affiliation: Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics and Communicable Diseases, C.S. Mott Children's Hospital, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan.
authors.forename: John D E
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Barks
authors.affiliation: Divisions of Pediatric Neurology.
authors.forename: Renée A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Shellhaas
mesh_terms: D001284:Atrophy; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D005343:Fibrinolytic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006408:Hematoma, Subdural / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male
chemical_list: D005343:Fibrinolytic Agents
keywords: anticoagulants; brain hypoxia–ischemia; cerebral hemorrhage; encephalomalacia; enoxaparin; infant; intracranial sinus thrombosis; subdural hematoma; venous thrombosis