Hereditary and acquired thrombophilia

During the past decade knowledge about the etiology of venous thromboembolism has increased tremendously. Inherited and acquired risk factors for venous thromboembolism are common in patients as well as in the general population. Whether the presence of most of these risk factors has consequences for the management of symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals is not fully clear at present. Therefore, while searching for new thrombophilic defects, it is crucial to determine the absolute risk for (recurrent) venous thromboembolism as well as other clinical manifestations in carriers. However, tentative guidelines for managing patients and their families are given in this review.