MEDICINE & HEALTH/RHODE ISLAND Acute Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT): Evolving Treatment Strategies and Endovascular Therapy

Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a manifestation of venous thromboembo-lic (VTE) disease. VTE encompasses both DVT and pulmonary embolism (PE). DVT itself refers to thrombus which has formed in the deep veins of the body which usually parallel an artery of the same or similar name and follow a deep course within an extremity. Formation of throm-bus in these vessels frequently results in local and systemic complications leading to significant morbidity and mortality. The Acting Surgeon General Steven K. Galson, MD, MPH, recently released a call to action to reduce the number of cases of DVT and pulmonary embolism in the United States, stressing that collectively DVT and PE contribute to at least 100,000 deaths each year.1 An often overlooked yet significant complication of DVT is the post-throm-botic syndrome (PTS – formerly post-phlebitic syndrome). PTS is characterized by chronic pain and swelling in the affected limb. PTS patients are considered a subset of those with chronic venous insufficiency. They are prone to the skin changes of chronic venous stasis disease, namely hyper-pigmentation, lipodermatosclerosis, and atrophie blanche. In the most advanced cases, venous stasis ulcers may occur. Over-all, PTS leads to lower quality of life.2,3 This article focuses on the epidemi-ology and treatment of DVT and PTS, including the most recently updated management guidelines from the Ameri