Combination thrombolytic and anticoagulant therapy for bilateral renal vein thrombosis in a premature infant.

We report a premature infant with bilateral renal vein thrombosis and renal failure at 1 month of age who underwent treatment with recombinant tissue plasminogen activator and heparin sulfate. Combination thrombolytic and anticoagulation therapy was complicated by an intraventricular and intraparenchymal cerebral hemorrhage without resolution of the renal vein thrombosis. With increasing reports of successful use of this therapy for venous thrombosis, we suggest caution and continued study of its use in the premature infant and newborn.