[Mycotic thrombosis as a rare complication of Shaw's central silastic catheter in long-term parenteral feeding in a premature infant].

A 26 days old very-low-birthweight infant with an indwelling silastic-catheter and suddenly occurring symptoms of pulmonary hypoperfusion is reported. At post-mortem examination a mycotic-thrombus originating from the right atrium was found obturating the tricuspid valve. Despite of the very low incidence of complications with central silastic-catheters one should consider thromboembolic occlusion within the heart or the great vessels in any case of an unexplained sudden deterioration with profound hypoxemia.