Paget-von Schroetter syndrome as an occupational accident

Abstract

Two men and one woman developed typical symptoms of a thrombosis in the arms after unusual physical effort at their work place (a coal miner after a bad fall, a radiographer after having to catch a patient, a painter after jerkily moving a heavy piece of furniture). In all three patients a thrombosis of the subclavian vein was demonstrated by duplex scans or phlebography. In two patients tests for hypercoagulability were unremarkable. None of the patients had a thoracic outlet syndrome. After initial local thrombolytic or heparin therapy alone, phenprocoumon treatment over several months was given in two cases, and in one case low-molecular-weight heparin was administered over several months. All three patients complained of strain-related residual symptoms in the affected arm (pain, swelling, easy fatigability). In all three cases, the accident insurer recognized the incident to be a work-related accident. Patients with a Paget-Schroetter syndrome resulting from a sudden and unusual physical effort at work, which is covered by statutory accident insurance, must be reported to the accident insurer as a work-related accident in order to safeguard individual medical claims of the patient and for general medical and epidemiological reasons.