ABSTRACT
Background Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is one of the most commonly missed diagnoses. DVT and pulmonary embolism (PE) represent two extremes of a single disease process. The annual reported incidence of DVT in the US is 20 million cases, out of which approximately 10% require hospitalization. Most commonly, DVT occurs in the deep veins of lower extremities but it can also arise in the veins of the pelvis and that of superior extremities. A triad of venous stasis, intimal injury, and a hypercoagulable state (Virchow’s triad) is usually the cause in most of the patients of DVT. Risk factors for DVT and subsequent pulmonary embolism are:
● prolonged immobilization (due to illness, surgery, travel); ● pregnancy; ● malignancy; ● hypercoagulable states (lupus anticoagulant, anti throm-
bin III deficiency, protein C and protein S deficiency, polycythemia rubra vera);
● factor V Leydin mutation; ● genetic predisposition; ● age > 50 years.
