Chronic deep vein thrombosis

Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is an important cause of short-term mortality and long-term morbidity. Although acute DVT is often well managed, there is uncertainty in the management of chronic DVT which is increasingly being noted among patients presenting with similar symptoms to their initial DVT. The presence of a residual venous clot can be a problem for both physicians and patients fearing the risk of emboli to the same extent as the acute DVT. There are also issues in the accurate diagnosis and appropriate management of chronic DVT, which is the focus of the second part of this review.