Elevated Plasma Factor VIII and D-Dimer Levels as Predictors of Poor Outcomes of Thrombosis in Children

In 82 children with thrombosis who were followed for up to five years, elevation of factor VIII, D-dimer, or both at diagnosis or persistent elevation during follow-up predicted a lack of thrombus resolution, recurrent thrombosis, or the post-thrombotic syndrome. Elevation of factor VIII, D-dimer, or both predicted a lack of thrombus resolution and recurrent thrombosis. Thrombosis is an increasing concern in pediatrics, but few prospective studies have evaluated the outcome in children. Congenital deficiencies of protein C, protein S, and antithrombin are known risk factors for recurrent thromboembolism in children, and it is often assumed that idiopathic thrombosis carries the same risk of recurrence in adults and children. Little is known, however, about factors that underlie the risk of recurrent thromboembolism and adverse long-term sequelae of thrombosis in children. 1 Recurrent venous thromboembolism and the post-thrombotic syndrome develop in approximately 25 percent and 28 percent, respectively, of unselected adults by five years of follow-up 2 ; in . . .