[Is protein C deficiency responsible for portal thrombosis after neonatal exchange transfusion?].

The authors report the case of a 12-year old boy admitted to hospital for cerebral ischaemic accident and in whom laboratory examinations revealed a 40% deficiency of protein C. Other investigations showed that the child, who had undergone exchange transfusion by the umbilical route at birth, had portal vein thrombosis. It is suggested that protein C deficiency might be responsible for some cases of portal vein thrombosis occurring after umbilical catheterization performed in the neonatal period.