Comment in:
Inferior vena cava malformation as a risk factor for deep venous thrombosis in the young.
Chee YL, Culligan DJ, Watson HG.
Department of Haematology, Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, Foresterhill, Aberdeen AB25 2ZN, UK.
Conditions which result in hypercoagulable blood or venous stasis may predispose to the development of deep vein thrombosis (DVT). Most of the recently described risk factors for DVT induce a hypercoagulable state. Over a 3-year period we have observed anomaly of the inferior vena cava (IVC) in four young patients presenting with spontaneous unprovoked DVT. This is a greater than expected rate (5% observed versus 0.5% expected). Further, bilateral DVT, which constitutes less than 10% of cases in most series, was present in three of the four cases. Anomaly of the IVC is a rare example of a prevalent congenital condition that predisposes to DVT, presumably by favouring venous stasis. This diagnosis should be considered in young patients with spontaneous and bilateral DVT.
PMID: 11564079 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]