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Deep vein thrombosis
Background
Overview
Definition
DVT is the formation of thrombus within the deep veins of lower extremity characterized by lower extremity pain and swelling and calf tenderness.
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Pathophysiology
DVT is caused by thrombus formation due to venous stasis, endothelial injury, and blood hypercoagulability.
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Disease course
Thrombus formation due to venous stasis, endothelial injury, and blood hypercoagulability in the lower extremities results in DVT, which causes clinical manifestations of lower extremity pain, swelling, and calf tenderness. Disease progression may lead to postphlebitis syndrome and pulmonary hypertension; acute complication may result in PE that might prove fatal.
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Prognosis and risk of recurrence
The 90-day mortality rates of asymptomatic proximal DVT and asymptomatic distal DVT are 13.75% and 3.39%, respectively.
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Guidelines
Key sources
The following summarized guidelines for the evaluation and management of deep vein thrombosis are prepared by our editorial team based on guidelines from the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP 2024,2022,2013), the American Society of Hematology (ASH 2023,2020,2018), the European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL 2022), the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP 2021,2016), the European Society ...
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