[Deep venous thrombosis of the arm: etiology, diagnosis and treatment]

Thrombosis of the upper extremity is frequently (30-52%) related to the use of an indwelling venous catheter, but it can also occur in healthy individuals after exercise. In the past it was considered a relatively benign thrombotic event, which was treated conservatively, sometimes even without anticoagulant therapy. Recent studies have shown that complications of deep venous thrombosis of the upper extremity occur frequently: pulmonary embolism (8-36%), recurrence thrombosis after cessation of anticoagulant treatment (2-15%) and post-thrombotic syndrome (up to 50%). Therefore when thrombosis of the upper extremity is clinically suspected, it should be objectively diagnosed by compression echography followed if negative by phlebography, with anticoagulant treatment directly afterward, preferably with low-molecular heparin and then acenocoumarol or phenprocoumon.