Intracardiac thrombus formation with rapidly progressive heart failure in the neonate: treatment with tissue type plasminogen activator.

A newborn is described in whom the use of a central venous line was complicated by septicaemia and by intracardiac thrombus formation with tricuspid valve insufficiency and heart failure. Besides antibiotics, treatment consisted of tissue type plasminogen activator (tPA) for three days. This treatment resulted in the disappearance of the thrombus and the tricuspid insufficiency. No adverse effects were noted. Treatment with tPA should be considered in intracardiac thrombus formation with rapidly progressive heart failure in the neonate.