Results of new study reveal patients with clinically diagnosed superficial vein thrombosis (SVT) have increased risk for developing venous thromboembolism (VTE) with its fatal compilactions. The study results have been published in Blood, the Journal of the American Society of Hematology (ASH).

The superficial vein thrombosis (SVT) is a blood clots condition typically caused by varicose veins. Blood stagnates in those venous pools and will clot easily, especially during inactivity. Patients with this condition typically suffer from inflammation in the affected area, resulting in the skin around the vein to turn red, swell and possibly hurt. Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a blood clot that typically forms in the deep veins of the leg and can develop into venous thromboembolism (VTE). The mechanism of DVT is shown in movie. VTE is a disease that includes both deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE). It is a common, lethal disorder that affects hospitalized and non-hospitalized patients, recurs frequently, is often overlooked. If undiagnosed DVT progresses to VTE the situation can become serious very quickly. So it is extremely important to understand and recognize the risk factors for DVT.

Recent studies have shown that patients diagnosed with SVT using ultrasound to confirm the presence of a clot showed increased risk of VTE. It was unclear whether patients with clinically diagnosed (without the use of ultrasound) SVT also had an increased risk for VTE. Current literature defines real SVT as a disorder diagnosed both clinically and through an ultrasound. In reality clinical practice does not necessarily follow this model. In fact, there is ability to identify SVT by the presence of a red, painful, palpable cord in the course of a patient’s superficial vein, for which additional testing with ultrasound is not necessary.

Team from Leiden University Medical Center find new correlation between clinically diagnosed SVT and the risk of VTE. They analyzed questionnaire responses from 4.290 patients with VTE and 5.644 controls without VTE. Study participants were previously enrolled in the MEGA study, a large, population-based, case-control study that assessed VTE risk in nearly 5,000 patients with over 6,000 controls from clinics in the Netherlands between 1999 and 2004. In this particular study, the authors also assessed patients on VTE risk, particularly whether they had SVT before VTE diagnosis or prior to study enrollment. Results from the study analysis revealed that SVT was prevalent in 10 percent of the VTE patients, and in two percent of the control group. All patients with prior SVT were found to be six times more likely to develop DVT and four times more likely to develop PE than controls [1].

The authors think a history of clinically diagnosed SVT is a risk factor for future VTE. They recommend that clinicians should actively ask patients for a history of clinically diagnosed SVT and use this information in their risk stratisfication analysis. Furthermore, patients who experience symptoms of SVT are advised to see a doctor, particularly when these symptoms do not pass or grow worse. SVT appears not to be a separate and benign form of venous thrombosis, as previously thought [1].

Author: Piotr Łażewski-Banaszak
Source:
1. K. van Langevelde, W. M. Lijfering, F. R. Rosendaal, S. C. Cannegieter. Increased risk of venous thrombosis in persons with clinically diagnosed superficial vein thrombosis: results from the MEGA study. Blood, 2011; DOI: 10.1182/blood-2011-05-356071
2. American Society of Hematology (2011, August 18). Common vein condition increases risk for developing life-threating blood clots. ScienceDaily. Retrieved August 27, 2011, from http://www.sciencedaily.com¬ /releases/2011/08/110817194230.htm
3. http://www.ehow.com/about_5525562_treatments-superficial-vein-thrombosis.html

More information:
1.http://www.thrombosisadviser.com/
2.http://www.clevelandclinicmeded.com/medicalpubs/diseasemanagement/pulmonary/pulmonary-embolism/