Disappearance of a major thrombus in the brachiocephalic vein without anticoagulant therapy in a patient with seminoma - a case report

Abstract

This is the first case report describing brachiocephalic vein thrombosis without compression by a metastatic tumour during chemotherapy for testicular cancer. According to previous reports of testicular cancer patients with a major thrombus, anticoagulant therapy was required to resolve all cases. However, in the present case, a major thrombus in the brachiocephalic vein disappeared without anticoagulant therapy. This 42-year-old man was diagnosed with testicular seminoma and multiple metastases to the para-aortic lymph nodes. After 3 cycles of cisplatin, etoposide and bleomycin (PEB) therapy, a major thrombus in the right brachiocephalic vein was recognized on a computed tomography (CT) scan. Although no anticoagulant therapy was undertaken, the thrombus in the right brachiocephalic vein was no longer visible on CT after the fourth cycle of PEB therapy.