Venous thrombosis

Associate Editor-In-Chief: Ujjwal Rastogi, MBBS [mailto:urastogi@perfuse.org]

Overview
Thrombus is term given to a blood clot that remains in the place where it formed. A venous thrombosis is a condition in which a thrombus(blood clot) forms within a vein. Superficial venous thrombosis, as the name suggest is the formation of a thrombus in superficial veins. It can cause discomfort but generally do not cause serious consequences, unlike the deep venous thrombosis (DVTs) that form in the deep veins of the legs or in the pelvic veins.

Since the veins return blood to the heart, a blood clot can dislodge and reach right heart and from there into the lungs. A piece of thrombus that is transported in this way is an embolus (plural emboli): the process of forming an emboli from a thrombus is called a thromboembolism. An embolism that lodges in the lungs is a pulmonary embolism (PE). Deep venous thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE) are manifestations of a single disease entity, called, venous thromboembolism (VTE). A pulmonary embolism is a very serious condition that can be fatal if not recognized and treated promptly. Thrombosis in the superficial vein, do not usually travel to the lungs unless they move from the superficial system into the deep venous system first.

A venous embolism can pass into the arterial system in patients with an Atrial septal defect or Ventricular septal defect, This is termed as a paradoxical emboli or a Systemic embolisms.