Empiric amphotericin B therapy was compared to central venous catheter Githdrawal in a prospective randomized trial. Of 32 febrile, neutropenic patients with indwelling Broviac catheters and without documented infection, 14 had persistent fever while receiving broad spectrum antibacterial drugs. Six patients were randomized to catheter removal and eight patients received amphotericin B empirically. None of six patients responded to catheter removal and six of eight defervesced after receiving antifungal therapy (p less than 0.01). Of the six patients in whom catheters were removed, two later became afebrile while on subsequent therapy with amphotericin B. Culture and histologic evaluation of the removed catheters failed to implicate the prosthesis as an infectious source. Central venous catheters in a persistently febrile neutropenic host need not be removed, unless local difficulties or bacteremia with skin commensal organisms occur. Amphotericin B can be infused through a central venous catheter in febrile, neutropenic patients unresponsive to empiric antibacterial drugs, with many patients becoming afebrile as a result of this therapy.