What is Deep Vein Thrombosis?
Veins are the vessels that carry oxygen-poor blood from all parts of the body back to the heart. In the lower extremities, these vessels are more strained than in the rest of the body because they must carry larger volumes of blood against gravity.
Venous thrombosis is the pathological formation of a blood clot (thrombus) within the lumen of a vein, resulting in its blockage. The main role in the formation of a clot is played by coagulation factors. In cases of abnormality of the genes responsible for coagulation factors, an increase in thrombosis occurs in an organism. These gene abnormalities constitute thrombophilias. Other common causes of thrombosis include long-term immobilization of the limb due to trauma or long travel, cancer, advanced age, surgery, venous catheters, pregnancy, as well as contraceptive treatment.
What are the symptoms of a deep vein thrombosis?
The symptoms of a deep vein thrombosis in the calf or popliteal artery are swelling in the area below the knee and foot with redness, increased heat and pain in the calf and foot area. Usually such symptoms are misinterpreted as a muscle strain. When the thrombosis occurs higher (in the femoral and iliac veins) these symptoms are much more pronounced throughout the lower limb. In the upper limbs, a deep thrombosis is mainly caused by catheters (e.g. Port, central venous catheter) in the subclavian vein, or compression syndromes of the subclavian vein (thoracic inlet syndrome). The clinical picture is similar to the lower limbs.
In deep vein thrombosis, there is an increased risk of pulmonary embolism, with increased mortality. The reason is the movement of part of the clots from the veins of the extremities to the pulmonary arteries, usually with acute symptoms of shortness of breath and heart failure.
What is the treatment for Venous Thrombosis?
The treatment of deep vein thrombosis is primarily conservative with anticoagulant therapy and graduated compression stockings. Only in some advanced cases is surgery indicated (see classical surgical methods).
What is thrombophlebitis?
Thrombosis of superficial veins is called thrombophlebitis. The main cause of thrombophlebitis in the upper extremities is venipuncture for intravenous therapy. In the lower extremities, it usually occurs in the great saphenous vein (GSV) along the inner side of the lower extremities, but also along the varicose veins. When venous insufficiency is present, it is almost exclusively associated with the development of thrombophlebitis.
What are the symptoms of thrombophlebitis?
Clinically, it presents with a picture of inflammation along the course of the thrombosed vein with redness, increased heat, acute pain, and swelling.
What is the treatment for thrombophlebitis?
The treatment for thrombophlebitis is initially conservative with anticoagulant therapy and graduated compression stockings. However, since it is mostly a serious complication of varicose veins, it must be treated surgically in the second stage because it is associated – although rarely – with a relative thrombosis deep vein (see classical surgical methods).