Right axillosubclavian vein thrombosis resolved by percutaneous rheolytic thrombectomy in a patient with a recurrent gastrointestinal stromal tumour undergoing imatinib mesylate treatment.

The manifestation and management of spontaneous axillosubclavian vein thrombosis in patients with gastrointestinal stromal tumour (GIST) undergoing oral chemotherapy have never been described. We report a patient with a recurrent GIST who was receiving maintenance imatinib yet developed a right axillosubclavian vein thrombotic occlusion. The occluded vein was unresponsive to systemic anticoagulation but was reopened by percutaneous rheolytic thrombectomy and has shown good long-term patency. Thus, for patients with recurrent GIST undergoing imatinib therapy, axillosubclavian vein thrombosis might manifest as a complication and could be managed with rheolytic thrombectomy, which thoroughly removes intravascular thrombus and effectively re-vascularizes the thrombosed vessel uneventfully.