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Deep vein thrombosis: a 7-year follow-up study
M Heldal1, E Seem, P M Sandset
1Department of Medicine, Aker University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
Journal of Internal Medicine
|July 1, 1993
Summary
Seven years after deep venous thrombosis (DVT), most patients show objective signs of deep venous insufficiency (DVI). However, severe symptoms are uncommon, and DVI is not more frequent after proximal DVT.
Area of Science:
- Vascular Medicine
- Thrombosis Research
- Clinical Outcomes
Background:
- Deep venous thrombosis (DVT) can lead to long-term complications.
- Deep venous insufficiency (DVI) is a potential sequela of DVT.
- Understanding the chronic impact of DVT is crucial for patient management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the long-term symptoms and objective signs of DVI following DVT.
- To examine the relationship between initial DVT extension and subsequent DVI.
- To assess DVI in control legs for comparison.
Main Methods:
- A follow-up study of patients diagnosed with DVT 7 years prior.
- Symptom assessment and objective verification of DVI using invasive pressure recordings and Doppler ultrasound.
- Analysis of 25 patients who completed the follow-up study.
Main Results:
- After 7 years, 42% of patients reported symptoms, with half being severe.
- Objective signs of DVI were present in 68% of patients.
- DVI was common in both symptomatic (82%) and asymptomatic (60%) patients; no DVI or symptoms were found in control legs.
Conclusions:
- Objective signs of DVI are frequent 7 years post-DVT, though severe symptoms are rare.
- Proximal DVT did not correlate with more frequent symptoms compared to distal DVT.
- Control legs remained unaffected, highlighting the localized impact of DVT.