[Venous post-thrombotic disease]

Venous post-thrombotic disease is a common complication of deep venous thrombosis of the lower limbs. Prevalence is around 75% after a five-year follow-up and 25% of these patients suffer from severe disorders. The clinical symptoms are non-specific and begin months or years after the acute thrombosis. The patients' claims range from uncomplicated oedema, leg cramps and superficial varicose veins to permanent skin changes (dermatitis, hypodermatitis, leg ulcers). Functional vascular exploration (continuous-wave Doppler, plethysmography, pulsed-wave echo-Doppler, exceptionally venography) allows a better knowledge of the haemodynamic consequences of the post-thrombotic disease: deep persistent truncular obstruction, partial or total recanalization, valvular incompetence and reflux in the deep veins, superficial varicose veins, incompetence of the perforating veins in the gaiter area, failure of the calf venous pump and microangiopathy.