PURPOSE: This study reviews 51 consecutive patients with superficial thrombophlebitis (STP) among 710 patients treated for varicose veins in our department. Methods. An assessment was made of various factors involved. RESULTS: Of these 51 patients, 21 (41.1%) had systemic disorders, including 4 (7.8%) with malignant diseases. Six patients (11.8%) had deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and five (9.8%) had pulmonary embolism (PE). All of the patients with DVT and/or PE had a thrombus in either the greater saphenous vein or the lesser saphenous vein; however, none of the patients with STP and a thrombus in the distal saphenous branch had either DVT or PE. The levels of coagulofibrinolytic markers such as fibrin degradation product-D dimer, plasmin alpha plasmin inhibitor complex, and thrombin antithrombin III complex were elevated in patients with STP or DVT, compared with those with varicose veins only. The level of C-reactive protein (CRP) was also elevated in the patients with STP or DVT. These findings indicate that STP is not necessarily a localized disease, but may be a symptom of systemic disease. In addition to duplex scanning, the measurement of coagulofibrinolytic markers as well as CRP may be useful for detecting STP and/ or DVT prior to the treatment of varicose veins.
PURPOSE: This study reviews 51 consecutive patients with superficial thrombophlebitis (STP) among 710 patients treated for varicose veins in our department. Methods. An assessment was made of various factors involved. RESULTS: Of these 51 patients, 21 (41.1%) had systemic disorders, including 4 (7.8%) with malignant diseases. Six patients (11.8%) had deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and five (9.8%) had pulmonary embolism (PE). All of the patients with DVT and/or PE had a thrombus in either the greater saphenous vein or the lesser saphenous vein; however, none of the patients with STP and a thrombus in the distal saphenous branch had either DVT or PE. The levels of coagulofibrinolytic markers such as fibrin degradation product-D dimer, plasmin alpha plasmin inhibitor complex, and thrombin antithrombin III complex were elevated in patients with STP or DVT, compared with those with varicose veins only. The level of C-reactive protein (CRP) was also elevated in the patients with STP or DVT. These findings indicate that STP is not necessarily a localized disease, but may be a symptom of systemic disease. In addition to duplex scanning, the measurement of coagulofibrinolytic markers as well as CRP may be useful for detecting STP and/ or DVT prior to the treatment of varicose veins.
Authors: Marcelo José de Almeida; Ana Terezinha Guillaumon; Daniel Miquelin; Edwaldo Edner Joviliano; Ludvig Hafner; Marcone Lima Sobreira; Martin Andreas Geiger; Regina Moura; Selma Raymundo; Winston Bonnetti Yoshida Journal: J Vasc Bras Date: 2019-11-20