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Updated: Feb 18, 2026

Point-Of-Care Ultrasound Screening for Proximal Lower Extremity Deep Venous Thrombosis
Published on: February 10, 2023
Thrombolytic therapy for deep venous thrombosis?
1Clinical Pathology Department, Warren G. Magnuson Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA. mhorne@nih.gov
We present the case of a man bedridden by deep venous thrombosis who was given intraclot instillations of recombinant tissue plasminogen activator with remarkable improvement. Although such aggressive treatment may be justified in severe cases, the role for thrombolytic agents for less symptomatic deep venous thrombosis is undefined. We discuss the question of when thrombolytic therapy should be considered. However, proper clinical trials are needed before firm recommendations can be made.
We present the case of a man bedridden by deep venous thrombosis who was given intraclot instillations of recombinant tissue plasminogen activator with remarkable improvement. Although such aggressive treatment may be justified in severe cases, the role for thrombolytic agents for less symptomatic deep venous thrombosis is undefined. We discuss the question of when thrombolytic therapy should be considered. However, proper clinical trials are needed before firm recommendations can be made.
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