Rinsho Shinkeigaku (Clinical Neurology)

Brief Clinical Note

A case of heparin-induced thrombocytopenia that worsened preexisting cerebral infarction

Hiroshi Yaguchi, M.D.1), Hidetaka Mitsumura, M.D.2), Ritsuko Ozawa, M.D.2), Hironori Sato, M.D.1) and Kiyoharu Inoue, M.D.2)

1)Department of Neurology, The Jikei University Kashiwa Hospital
2)Department of Neurology, The Jikei University School of Medicine

A 75-year-old man was admitted to our hospital with dysesthesia of the right lip, dysphagia and gait disturbance. He presented with right Wallenberg syndrome and brain MR image showed a fresh infarction in the right lateral medulla. Therapy with heparin and ozagrel sodium was started. For a time his symptom improved a little, but after 8 days he developed re-infarction, thrombocytopenia and DIC, while being treated with heparin for cerebral infarction. Heparin was discontinued, and these symptoms improved quickly. The clinical course and the positive anti-platelet factor 4-heparin complex antibody suggested that these symptoms were caused by heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT). HIT should be included as a differential diagnosis for progression of ischemic stroke under heparin therapy.

(CLINICA NEUROL, 44: 636|638, 2004)
key words: cerebral thrombosis, thrombocytopenia, disseminated intravascular coagulation, heparin-induced thrombocytopenia, anti-platelet factor 4-heparin complex antibody

(Received: 10-Dec-03)