Deep venous thrombosis in the spastic upper limb

Deep venous thrombosis (DVT) of the upper extremity (UE) is an uncommon diagnosis, whereas DVT of the lower extremity is a well-known cause of morbidity and mortality in the rehabilitation patient. Patients with UE DVT secondary to venous stasis, vessel wall abnormalities, hypercoagulability, venous instrumentation and cancer have been previously reported in the literature. To our knowledge no case of DVT in a spastic upper extremity has been noted. A case report of a patient with UE DVT in a spastic extremity secondary to traumatic brain injury is presented, with a discussion of the aetiology, diagnosis and management of this disorder.