Postoperative venous thromboembolism and brain tumors: part II. Hemostatic profile

Preoperative hemostatic data were obtained on 42 brain tumor patients and correlated with the subsequent occurrence of venous thrombosis detected with 1211-labeled fibrinogen leg scans. The occurrence of thrombosis correlated significantly with an increased prothrombin time, plasminogen, and total fibrinolytic activity and a decreased fibrinogen level. This overall trend in the group of patients with postoperative thrombosis indicates that the hemostatic disorder noted in brain tumor patients is most closely related to a subclinical form of chronic disseminated intravascular coagulation syndrome. Differences in hemostatic parameters seen with the various types of brain tumors suggest that biological factors specific to each tumor are likely responsible for the described hemostatic disorder and support the need for further research directed at the tumor tissue level.