Superficial Vein Thrombosis: Risk Factors, Diagnosis, and Treatment

Abstract

Superficial vein thrombosis (SVT) is a very common disease even though its incidence has never been assessed properly. Until recently, the literature on this topic has been relatively poor, old, and with numerous methodologic drawbacks, probably because this disease was considered benign and trivial. However, the recent recognition of a frequent association with concomitant venous thromboembolism (VTE) (deep vein thrombosis [DVT] and pulmonary embolism [PE]) and the risk of subsequent VTE complications in patients with isolated SVT has revived interest and has encouraged new clinical research. SVT and VTE share many common predisposing risk factors. Even if varicose veins represent the main cause of SVT, several underlying conditions (e.g., malignancy, thrombophilia, autoimmune diseases) should be sought, especially in idiopathic, migrant, or recurrent SVT of nonvaricose vein patients. The diagnosis is made in a clinical setting but ultrasonography is useful to identify concomitant asymptomatic DVT. Many medical and surgical treatments have been suggested to relieve local symptoms and signs, prevent recurrences, and limit the VTE risk of SVT, but the evidence coming from the limited number of prospective randomized studies does not allow strong recommendations on the optimal treatment of SVT.