A six-year old with fatal pulmonary embolism.

UNLABELLED: Pulmonary thromboembolism is rarely recognized in young children, even in hospital settings. All current management decisions for children with deep vein thrombosis (DVT) are directly extrapolated from treatment recommendations for adults with no further validation. We report the case of a 6-y-old child presenting with deep vein thrombosis of the leg veins and fatal pulmonary embolism. The fatal outcome in our case highlights the need for more epidemiological studies in children, not only to predict the recurrence of pulmonary emboli but also to prepare standard treatment guidelines for the management of DVT and pulmonary emboli in children. We speculate that there may be a role for temporary inferior vena cava filters in young children with extensive DVT of the legs.

CONCLUSIONS: This case highlights the need for more epidemiological studies to predict the recurrence of pulmonary emboli and effective guidelines for the management of paediatric DVT and pulmonary emboli in children.