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Direct oral anticoagulants in rare venous thrombosis
1USS Malattie Mieloproliferative Croniche, USC Ematologia, Ospedale Papa Giovanni XXIII, Piazza OMS 1, 24127, Bergamo, Italy. gfinazzi@hpg23.it.
Insights
Direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) show promise for treating rare venous thrombosis like abdominal or cerebral cases. Ongoing studies are evaluating their efficacy and safety in these conditions.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Hematology
- Vascular Medicine
Background:
- Direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) like dabigatran, rivaroxaban, and apixaban are standard for limb or pulmonary venous thromboembolism.
- Their application in abdominal or cerebral venous thrombosis is less established due to limited data.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review current clinical experience with DOACs in rare venous thrombosis.
- To provide updates on ongoing clinical trials investigating DOACs for these conditions.
Main Methods:
- Review of published case reports and small patient series.
- Analysis of data from prospective cohort studies and randomized controlled trials.
Main Results:
- Existing data from case reports and small series suggest DOACs are effective and safe for rare venous thrombosis.
- Ongoing trials aim to provide more robust evidence for DOAC use in these indications.
Conclusions:
- DOACs demonstrate potential for treating abdominal and cerebral venous thrombosis.
- Further research through prospective studies and trials is crucial to confirm their role in rare venous thrombosis.
Abstract:
The direct inhibitors of thrombin (dabigatran) or factor Xa (rivaroxaban, apixaban) are currently used in patients with venous thrombosis of the lower or upper limbs or with pulmonary embolism. However, the use of these direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) in subjects with abdominal or cerebral venous thrombosis is more contentious due to the paucity of available data. In a few case reports and small series of patients hitherto published, the DOACs showed good efficacy and safety, supporting an extension of their use to these rare conditions. Thus, prospective cohort studies and randomized controlled trials have been set up. In this article, we review the published clinical experience with DOACs in rare venous thrombosis, and provide updated information on ongoing clinical trials.
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