Clinical characteristics and course of plantar vein thrombosis: a series of 22 cases

To evaluate the clinical presentation and disease course of symptomatic plantar vein thrombosis.

Patients with a first diagnosis of symptomatic plantar vein thrombosis at our institution were retrospectively identified from a prospectively maintained database. All patients underwent complete venous compression sonography extended to the plantar veins because of local symptoms at the sole of the foot. Clinical characteristics were obtained from the medical records.

Between 2005 and 2013, 22 patients were diagnosed with a first episode of plantar vein thrombosis (64% women, mean age at diagnosis 58.2 years, range 32-79 years). All patients reported moderate to heavy pain of the sole of the foot. The lateral plantar veins (96%) were more frequently affected than the medial plantar veins (41%) and extension into the deep calf veins was common (27%). Half of the episodes were idiopathic, with subsequent diagnosis of occult malignancy in two of these patients. In seven patients (32%), plantar vein thrombosis occurred in association to physical strain to the foot. All patients were treated with anticoagulation. Symptomatic pulmonary embolism was not observed and during a mean follow up of 21 months, the post-thrombotic syndrome did not occur. However, recurrences were common (27%) and frequently again affected the plantar veins.

Plantar vein thrombosis should be considered as an important differential diagnosis of acute foot pain.