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Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia thrombosis after cardiac surgery. A case report
T h Antoniou1, G Stavridis, M Daganou
1Department ofAnesthesia and Surgery, Onassis Cardiac Surgery Center, Athens, Greece.
We report a rare case of cerebral infarct resulting in brain death due to heparin-induced thrombocytopenia thrombosis (HITT), manifested in the immediate postoperative period following aortic valve replacement in a 46-year-old woman whose only prior exposure to heparin was during catheterization four months prior to surgery. The diagnosis of HITT was suspected after a significant decrease of the platelet count and it was confirmed by a heparin-induced platelet activation assay showing platelet aggregation in the presence of heparin.
We report a rare case of cerebral infarct resulting in brain death due to heparin-induced thrombocytopenia thrombosis (HITT), manifested in the immediate postoperative period following aortic valve replacement in a 46-year-old woman whose only prior exposure to heparin was during catheterization four months prior to surgery. The diagnosis of HITT was suspected after a significant decrease of the platelet count and it was confirmed by a heparin-induced platelet activation assay showing platelet aggregation in the presence of heparin.