beta-thromboglobulin and deep vein thrombosis.

The measurement of plasma beta-thromboglobulin as a potential diagnostic test for venous thrombosis has been investigated in 16 normal volunteers, 24 patients presenting with deep vein thrombosis (DVT) or pulmonary embolism and 46 patients screened by 125I fibrinogen test (IFT) for post-operative DVT. The normal mean was 33 ng/ml (range 15-117 ng/ml). Of the 24 patients with clinical thrombotic disease 22 presented with DVT confirmed by phlebogram or IFT and 2 presented with embolism confirmed by lung scan. At the time of first presentation 12 out of 24 had betaTG values greater than 70 ng/ml. All except 3 of this group of 24 patients had values of greater than 70 ng/ml at some stage during a subsequent week of daily sampling. DVT was detected in 13 out of 46 screened post-operative patients. There was a rise om betaTG observed within 24 hr of the IFT becoming positive but the mean rise did not reach significance at the 5% level. An association between DVT and high betaTG values has been confirmed. However, its clinical value cannot yet be fully elucidated until factors, probably related to blood sampling and clearance, are further investigated.     

Intermittent plasminogen-streptokinase treatment of deep vein thrombosis.

The fibrinolytic response of 12 patients receiving single daily infusions of 600,000 units of streptokinase (SK) and 90 mg of plasminogen for the treatment of DVT has been studied. The mean plasminogen concentration was maintained throughout the treatment period (4-6 days) at between 20-40% the initial value, while mean circulating plasmin concentration rose to only about twice initial plasma levels. The degradation of fibrinogen as indicated by a fall in clottable fibrinogen did not fall below 1 mg/ml and serum FDP rose to greater than 1 mg/ml. Limited fibrinogenolysis occurred in 2 patients, while in another patient who bled there was immediate and extensive depletion to below 0.5 mg/ml. The beneficial clinical results obtained with this regimen (Kakkar et al. 1975), which produces only limited systemic plasminaemia, suggest that thrombolysis may be facilitated by higher levels of plasminogen than those maintained during conventional SK treatment.     

The incidence of postoperative deep vein thrombosis.

A prospective study of the incidence of deep vein thrombosis in surgical patients was carried out in 130 general surgical patients, undergoing a major elective operation requiring a general anaesthetic of more than 30 minutes' duration and followed by at least 7 days in hospital. An additional 23 neurosurgical cases, 31 ophthalmic and otorhinolaryngology patients and 7 renal transplant recipients were studied.All patients were screened with radioactive fibrinogen employing a Pitman ratemeter and with Doppler ultrasonography, and 32 patients with positive results were examined by bilateral ascending venography. The incidence of deep vein thrombosis by these criteria in the general surgical patients was 51%. In 76% of cases, it was apparent within 72 hours of surgery and bilateral in 64% of cases. The calf alone was involved in only 43% of cases, and more proximal extension occurred in the remaining 57%. Venography confirmed the diagnosis of deep vein thrombosis in 29 of 32 patients tested. Objective clinical evidence of venous thrombosis was present in only 3.8% of the positive cases, but the subjective symptom of pain in the calf was present in 29% of positive cases. The incidence of positive cases in neurosurgical patients was 43%, in ophthalmology and otorhinolaryngological patients 6%, and in renal transplant patients 57%     

Residual venous obstruction in patients with a single episode of deep vein thrombosis and in patients with recurrent deep vein thrombosis

Residual venous obstruction (RVO) in patients with previous deep vein thrombosis (DVT) of the lower limbs has been suggested as an independent risk factor for recurrent venous thromboembolism (VTE). RVO could be a marker of a persistent prothrombotic state. We have compared the rate of RVO in patients with DVT and a personal history of at least one previous episode of VTE to the rate of RVO among patients with a first episode of DVT. All patients underwent compression ultrasonography (CUS) of the lower limbs 1 year after index DVT. RVO was arbitrarily defined as a thrombus occupying, at maximal compressibility, more than 20% of the vein area in the absence of compression. 50 consecutive patients with recurrent DVT and 50 age and sex-matched patients with a single episode of DVT were enrolled. The index event was idiopathic in 62% of patients with recurrent DVT and in 60% of patients with a single episode. In 74% of patients with recurrent DVT the index event occurred in either the contralateral leg or in a different segment of the ipsilateral leg. RVO was detected in 50% of patients with a single episode of DVT and in 88% of patients with recurrent DVT (p<0.00001). The prevalence of RVO is significantly higher in patients with recurrent DVT than in patients with a single episode. This finding supports the importance of RVO as a potential marker of a persistent prothrombotic state.     

Cerebral deep vein thrombosis: three cases]

Cerebral internal venous thrombosis are rare and diagnosis is difficult. We report three cases in male adults. Clinical data were headaches, vomiting, dizziness and coma, in relation with an intracranial hypertension, or in a case, cardiocirculatory arrest. Cerebral internal veinous thrombosis was diagnosed by a CT scan and cerebral angiography twenty four hours after the admission in neurosurgical intensive care. CT scan showed hemorrhagic and ischemic lesions of thalami in two cases, diffuse cerebral edema in two patients, early or delayed hydrocephaly in two cases. No patient survived despite intensive treatment including heparinotherapy, ventricular CSF drainage, osmotherapy, dehydration, barbiturate, other antiepileptic drugs and mechanical ventilation. In two cases, general or local illness was found, sickle cell disease or radiotherapy for pineal tumor, and in case 3 clinical signs evoked autoimmune disease, not demonstrated by biological samples.     

Cost-effective diagnosis of deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism

Suspected acute venous thromboembolism is a frequent and challenging clinical problem. Phlebography and pulmonary angiography are costly and invasive and, hence, ill-suited for diagnosing a disease present in only 20% of patients in whom it is suspected. Novel noninvasive instruments, such as plasma D-dimer measurement, lower limb compression ultrasonography and helical CT scan are important breakthroughs in the management of patients with suspected venous thromboembolism. However, none of these instruments is ideal, and they must be combined in rational and cost-effective diagnostic algorithms including clinical assessment, which is increasingly standardized. Such strategies must be validated in management studies, in which patients without venous thromboembolism are not treated and followed up during 3 months. Suspected massive pulmonary embolism is a distinct clinical situation requiring a specific diagnostic approach, in which echocardiography plays a major role. This paper reviews the performance of clinical evaluation and diagnostic tests for venous thromboembolism, and recently validated diagnostic schemes.     

Two years outcome of isolated distal deep vein thrombosis

Background

Isolated distal deep vein thrombosis (IDDVT) is frequently found in symptomatic outpatients, but its long term outcome is still uncertain.

Aims

To assess IDDVT long term outcome and the impact of IDDVT characteristics on outcome.

Methods

In a prospective, single center study we enrolled symptomatic outpatients in whom IDDVT was detected by whole-leg compression ultrasonography. Patients with provoked IDDVT were treated with low molecular weight heparins (LMWH) for 30 days while those with unprovoked IDDVT received with vitamin K antagonists (VKA) for three months. The primary end-point was the rate of the composite of pulmonary embolism (PE), proximal deep vein thrombosis (DVT), and IDDVT recurrence/extension during 24 month follow-up.

Results

90 patients (age 61 ± 18, male 48.9%) were enrolled. Risk factors for thrombosis were reduced mobility (34.4%), obesity (25.3%), surgery (15.6%), and previous DVT (15.6%) and cancer in 8 patients (8.9%). Eighty-eight patients were treated (56 with LMWH and 32 with VKA). During follow-up (median 24 ± 2 months), 17 events were recorded, which included 3 PE (two in cancer patients), 4 proximal DVTs (one in cancer patient) and 10 IDDVT. Male sex (HR 4.73 CI95%: 1.55-14.5; p = 0.006) and cancer (HR 5.47 CI95%: 1.76-17.6; p = 0.003) were associated with a higher risk of complications, whereas IDDVT anatomical characteristics, anticoagulant therapy type, and provoked IDDVT were not.

Conclusions

The risk of recurrent venous thromboembolism after IDDVT may be relevant in male patients or in patients with active cancer. Larger studies are needed to address this issue.     

Diagnosis of deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism in pregnancy

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a major cause of maternal morbidity and mortality. Because unrecognized and untreated pulmonary embolism (PE) can result in maternal mortality, physician vigilance for this disease should remain high. The diagnosis of both PE and deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in the pregnant patient, as in the nonpregnant patient, requires the use of accurate objective imaging. However, unlike the nonpregnant population, there is a paucity of trials evaluating the safety and accuracy of objective testing for PE or DVT diagnosis in pregnant patients--likely because of concerns surrounding the use of ionizing radiation associated with diagnostic tests during pregnancy. Regardless of extrapolating results from studies in the nonpregnant population, the use of compression leg ultrasound and ventilation-perfusion (VQ) scanning during pregnancy is central to the diagnosis of DVT and PE, respectively. Data on the utility of structured clinical models or D-dimer testing for the diagnosis of DVT or PE during pregnancy is currently unavailable. Future research is urgently needed to validate the use of current approaches and perhaps define safer and more accurate strategies to reduce maternal morbidity from this disease.     

Abdominal obesity and the risk of recurrent deep vein thrombosis

BACKGROUND: Abdominal obesity has been found to be associated with an increased risk of deep vein thrombosis (DVT). Whether patients with abdominal obesity have an increased risk of recurrence is currently unknown. METHODS: Patients with objective diagnosis of DVT and a life expectancy of greater than 6 months underwent measurement of the circumference of the waist. A waist circumference of greater than 102 cm for men and greater than 88 cm for women defined abdominal obesity. Information on age, gender, and on the presence of risk factors for DVT was collected. At follow-up, all patients underwent serial compression ultrasound of the lower limbs and were clinically evaluated every 6 months. RESULTS: One hundred patients were enrolled, 58 with abdominal obesity and 42 without. Mean age was 64.5 and 57.3 years, respectively (p<0.05). Percentage of male patients was 32.8% and 81.0% (p<0.01). Unprovoked DVT and transient risk factors rates were similar in both groups. Overall, recurrent DVT was documented in 29 patients, 16 in patients with abdominal obesity (27.6%) and 13 in patients without (31.0%). At the multivariate regression analysis HR for VTE recurrence in abdominal obese patients was 1.26 (95% confidence interval=0.47-3.4). CONCLUSIONS: Abdominal obesity does not seem to modify the risk of recurrent DVT.     

细胞黏附分子血浆E-选择素水平与下肢深静脉血栓形成

背景：研究表明，深静脉内白细胞参与的炎症反应在深静脉血栓形成中起了很重要的作用，而E-选择素的主要作用是介导炎症过程中白细胞与血管内皮细胞黏附的起始过程。 目的：拟观察细胞黏附分子E-选择素水平与下肢深静脉血栓形成的关系。 设计、时间及地点：配对设计，直线相关分析，于2007-09/12在重庆医科大学附属第一医院血管外科及重庆医科大学临床检验诊断学实验室完成。 对象：选择发病在3 d 内或病情加重的27例下肢深静脉血栓形成患者，男16例，女11例，平均年龄(57±15)岁。 方法：入院时采集第1次血液标本，经过溶栓，抗凝治疗72 h 后采集第2次血液标本。用ELISA法测定血浆中E-选择素的质量浓度，同时测定第1次采血样本的血小板计数及其凝血功能，包括部分激活凝血活酶时间、凝血酶原时间、血浆纤维蛋白原。 主要观察指标：治疗前后患者E-选择素的水平，治疗前凝血功能、血小板计数及与E-选择素相关性分析。 结果：27例下肢深静脉血栓形成患者在治疗期间均未发生急性肺栓塞，1例行Forgart导管取栓术，其余26例患者72 h 后，15例患者临床症状明显好转，11例临床症状未见好转。①下肢深静脉血栓形成患者经过溶栓、抗凝治疗临床缓解者血浆E-选择素水平明显下降(P=0.001)，而临床未缓解者血浆E-选择素水平则呈上升表现(P=0.003)。②下肢深静脉血栓形成患者治疗前E-选择素水平与血小板计数无相关性(r=-0.113，P=0.576)，与纤维蛋白原含量无相关性(r=-0.050，P=0.802)，与部分激活凝血活酶时间无相关性(r=-0.046，P=0.822)，与凝血酶原时间亦无相关性(r=-0.080，P=0.690)。 结论：血浆E-选择素水平与深静脉血栓形成症状严重程度呈正相关性。     

Thromboxane and prostacyclin formation in patients with deep vein thrombosis

The urinary excretion of 2,3-dinor-TxB2 and 2,3-dinor-6-keto-PGF1 alpha (the major urinary metabolites of thromboxane B2 and prostacyclin) was measured in ten patients with confirmed deep vein thrombosis, using specific methods based on gas chromatography - mass spectrometry with deuterium-labelled internal standards. Measurements of these major urinary metabolites makes it possible to monitor the in vivo formation of thromboxane A2 and prostacyclin. The results demonstrate an abnormally high and very variable excretion of 2,3-dinor-TxB2 and 2,3-dinor-6-keto-PGF1 alpha in patients with deep vein thrombosis. This indicate that both thromboxane A2 and prostacyclin are involved in the course of events associated with this disease.     

High utilization rate of vena cava filters in deep vein thrombosis

The objective was to investigate newly diagnosed patients with deep vein thrombosis (DVT) who received inferior vena cava filters (IVCFs). A prospective registry enrolled 5451 patients from 183 US study sites. In all patients, examination by venous duplex ultrasound confirmed the diagnosis of DVT. We collected and analyzed data on 781 patients who received an IVCF. The most frequently prescribed treatments were low-molecular-weight heparin and unfractionated heparin, which were used as a bridge to warfarin in 39% (n=2143) and 35% (n=1926) of patients, respectively. Of the total population, 781 (14%) (235 outpatients, 546 inpatients) underwent IVCF placement. The most common reasons for IVCF placement were contraindication to anticoagulation (n = 271), prophylaxis (n = 259), major bleeding related to anticoagulation therapy (n = 92), and anticoagulation failure (n = 73). Multivariate analysis revealed that patients were more likely to undergo IVCF insertion with multiple system organ failure (odds ratio [OR], 3.6; 95% CI, 1.48-8.60), previous stroke (OR,3.2;95% CI,2.11-4.74), or history of pulmonary embolism (OR,2.4; 95% CI, 1.95-2.91). In conclusion, a surprisingly high 14% (781) of patients with confirmed DVT received an IVCF. Many of these patients may have warranted less invasive methods of venous thromboembolism prophylaxis. Improved physician education regarding mechanical and pharmacologic prophylaxis alternatives might reduce the use of IVCFs.