Venous and arterial thromboses are major causes of morbidity and mortality. Venous thrombosis is the result of pathological occlusive clot formation in the veins. It occurs mainly in the deep veins of the leg (deep vein thrombosis), from which parts of the clot frequently embolize to the lungs (pulmonary embolism). Less than 5% of all venous thromboses occur at other sites (e.g. arm or cerebral veins). Rarely occurring, but often life-threathening venous thrombosis is splanchnic vein thrombosis, including hepatic vein thrombosis, Budd Chiari syndrome (BCS) and portal vein thrombosis (PVT). Venous thrombosis often occurs spontaneously, but it also frequently accompanies medical and surgical conditions, both in the community and the hospital. Many risk factors for venous thrombosis are known, most of them related either to immobilization or to hypercoagulability [1]. The symptoms of venous thrombosis are non-specific, and therefore the clinical diagnosis is difficult and requires objective testing by imaging. Major complications of thrombosis include a disabling post-thrombotic syndrome and death due to fatal pulmonary embolism. Treatment with anticoagulants should be prompt and adequate. Arterial thrombosis is the formation of a thrombus within an artery. Most arterial thrombi are superimposed on disrupted atherosclerotic plaque because plaque rupture exposes thrombogenic material in the plaque core to the blood, and is therefore referred to as atherothrombosis.

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Erasmus MC Rotterdam, Revolving Fund, MRACE
F.W.G. Leebeek (Frank)
Erasmus University Rotterdam
hdl.handle.net/1765/23684
Erasmus MC: University Medical Center Rotterdam

de Bruijne, E. L. E. (2011, June 22). Thrombin Avtivable Fibrinolysis Inhibitor in Venous and Arterial Thrombosis. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/1765/23684