The use of long-term central venous catheters is a routine in chronic pediatric diseases. Thrombotic complications progressively reduce the central venous capital and hamper the long-term management of these patients. OBSERVATION: We report two cases of obstruction of the central upper venous system and discuss of the techniques used to repermeabilize venous axes before the placement of a new central line. CONCLUSION: The control of the permeability of the central veins should be performed before any withdrawal of central catheters, repermeabilization of the venous axes being simpler when the central catheter is kept in place in the occluded vessel.
Service de cardiologie pédiatrique, hôpital Necker-Enfants-Malades, Assistance Publique, Hôpitaux de Paris, 149 rue de Sèvres, 75015 Paris, France. younes.boudjemline@nck.ap-hop-paris.fr
