Heterotopic ossification and deep venous thrombosis: concurrence (?), bleeding complications, and caval interruption

Diagnosis and treatment of apparent deep venous thrombosis in a patient with spinal cord injury can be difficult. Heterotopic ossification in the paralyzed limbs of such patients can mimic deep venous thrombosis and can even produce false-positive findings on venograms. Anticoagulation, in turn, can be associated with soft tissue hemorrhage that may resemble thrombophlebitis and further confound interpretation of venograms. We have presented a case in which all these phenomena were present and in which a remaining risk of embolism was successfully managed through placement of a Greenfield filter.