Deep venous thrombosis of the upper extremity: a reappraisal

Deep venous thrombosis (DVT) of the upper extremity is an unusual thrombotic event (1-2% of all DVT) which can be conveniently divided into two categories, traumatic (including "stress") and spontaneous. The spontaneous form is not reported as often in the literature, but occurs more commonly than the traumatic form. There is an increased left-sided predominance in spontaneous DVT compared with the traumatic form, where a right-sided predominance exists. Possible anatomical and physiological explanations are offered for the left-sided predominance in spontaneous DVT of the upper extremity. The thrombogenesis of DVT of the upper extremity is compared with DVT of the lower extremity. An analysis of responses to therapy and considerations for other therapeutic approaches are offered.