Venous thromboembolic events alert for gynecologic neoplasms

Paraneoplastic syndromes represent a group of clinical manifestations widely separated from the primary site of malignancy, which are not caused by local infiltration of the tumor or its metastases. Alterations of hemostasis and vascular abnormalities commonly accompany the progression of malignant disease. Hypercoagulability, changes in coagulation factors, anticoagulant proteins, circulating anticoagulants or platelets, and vascular responses have been noted during the disease process. The purpose of this review is to illustrate and present the current state of knowledge surrounding vascular paraneoplastic manifestations in gynecologic oncology. Since they may constitute the presenting feature of an undiagnosed gynecologic cancer, it is important to seek to identify such malignancies in women presenting with clinical thrombotic or bleeding syndromes.