[Iliofemoral and iliocaval interventions in deep venous thrombosis]

Significant spontaneous thrombus disintegration in deep venous thrombosis (DVT) occurs very infrequently. On the contrary, these thrombi are prone to appositional growth and migration into the pulmonary arteries. The development of chronic venous insufficiency due to postthrombotic syndrome is a frequent consequence of DVT. Therapeutic options in DVT include anticoagulation and recanalising procedures such as thrombolysis and thrombectomy. After appropriate indication assessment, the interventional radiologist can offer an efficacy-proven minimally-invasive vessel restitution approach by performing locoregional thrombolysis, pharmacomechanical therapy or, particularly in iliocaval thrombosis, mechanical thrombectomy. These methods not only serve to restitute of vessel patency, but also allow preserving venous valve function. In DVT with recurrent pulmonary embolism, retrievable filters with extended implantation duration can be deployed. In chronic proximal venous flow obstruction or in case of significant residual stenosis after thrombolysis, balloon angioplasty with stent implantation is the treatment modality of choice. Consequently, the radiologist can adopt an important role in the treatment of extensive venous disease. In this article, the treatment modalities concerning iliofemoral and iliocaval thrombosis are demonstrated and illustrated.