gms | German Medical Science

57th Annual Meeting of the German Society of Neurosurgery
Joint Meeting with the Japanese Neurosurgical Society

German Society of Neurosurgery (DGNC)

11 - 14 May, Essen

Thromboembolic disorders in neurosurgical patients with brain tumours – Prognostic value of different clotting parameters

Thrombembolische Komplikation bei neurochirurgischen Patienten mit Hirntumoren – Prognostische Wertigkeit verschiedener Gerinnungsparameter

Meeting Abstract

  • corresponding author D. Freudenstein - Klinik für Neurochirurgie, Eberhard Karls Universität, Tübingen
  • K. Lutz - Klinik für Neurochirurgie, Eberhard Karls Universität, Tübingen
  • R. Ritz - Klinik für Neurochirurgie, Eberhard Karls Universität, Tübingen
  • F. Roser - Klinik für Neurochirurgie, Eberhard Karls Universität, Tübingen
  • F. Duffner - Klinik für Neurochirurgie, Eberhard Karls Universität, Tübingen
  • M. Tatagiba - Klinik für Neurochirurgie, Eberhard Karls Universität, Tübingen

Deutsche Gesellschaft für Neurochirurgie. Japanische Gesellschaft für Neurochirurgie. 57. Jahrestagung der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Neurochirurgie e.V. (DGNC), Joint Meeting mit der Japanischen Gesellschaft für Neurochirurgie. Essen, 11.-14.05.2006. Düsseldorf, Köln: German Medical Science; 2006. DocFR.07.09

The electronic version of this article is the complete one and can be found online at: http://www.egms.de/en/meetings/dgnc2006/06dgnc049.shtml

Published: May 8, 2006

© 2006 Freudenstein et al.
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/deed.en). You are free: to Share – to copy, distribute and transmit the work, provided the original author and source are credited.


Outline

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Objective: Thromboembolism in patients with brain tumours is a too common problem in day to day neurosurgical practice. This study focusses on the prognostic value of different parameters to identify patients at risk for thrombembolic disorders in the perioperative course.

Methods: One hundred consecutive patients with various brain tumours (27 meningiomas, 29 gliomas, 15 pituritary adenomas, 12 metastases, 17 others) admitted for craniotomy were included.The following parameters were evaluated: bleeding time (in vivo/vitro), prothrombin time (Quick), partial thromboplastin time (PTT), antithrombin III (AT III), fibrinogen, plasmin inhibitior (PI), D-dimer, haemoglobin, haematocrit, platelets, Factor VIII and IX, von Willebrand’s Factor (vWF), ristocetin co-factor (RcF), C-reactive protein, medication, complications, duration of craniotomy, clinical examination and past medical history focused on thromboembolic events/riskfactors. Blood samples were taken 24 hours before/after craniotomy and on the third and seventh postoperative day.

Results: Most sensitive preoperative clotting parameters for thromboembolic complications (average on 7th postoperative day) were AT III, PI, Factor VIII and IX, vWF and RcF. A prolonged operation time >4 hoursshowed a positive correlation with a higher risk for thromboembolic complications (incidence rate: pulmonary embolism 1% and deep vein thrombosis 4%), especially in cases of meningioma (7.4%) compared with glioma (3.5%) and others (2.3%). The most sensitive clotting parameter was a decrease in AT III activity. Preoperatively all patients with thrombomembolic complications showed a prolonged bleeding time (in vivo and in vitro).

Conclusions: Based on study data and a cost-benefit analysis of the different parameters, a preoperative screening flowchart was elaborated. In case of an inconspicuous past medical history regarding haemostatic disorders and risk factors, preoperative screening can be restricted to the investigation of Quick, PTT, platelet count and bleeding time (in vivo/vitro). Pathological findings require additional examinations (AT III, D-dimer, fibrinogen, PI, F VIII, F IX and vWF).