Young patients with iliofemoral deep venous thrombosis should receive thrombolytic therapy

Large uterine fibroids causing mechanical obstruction of the inferior vena cava and subsequent thrombosis: a case report

A 35-year-old woman presented with severe left leg swelling and pain after a spontaneous abortion of a 20-week fetus. Duplex ultrasound imaging confirmed venous thrombosis of the left iliac, common femoral, superficial femoral, deep femoral, greater saphenous, posterior tibial, and popliteal, peroneal, and soleal veins. A computed tomography scan showed large uterine fibroids that were completely compressing the distal inferior vena cava and both ureters, with associated hydronephrosis. A magnetic resonance venography showed the inferior vena cava proximal to the mechanical obstruction was free of thrombosis but was dilated at 27 mm in the suprarenal location. A hysterectomy was performed and an 8-pound uterus was removed. Intraoperative ultrasound of the inferior vena cava showed a patent crescent shaped vein with no thrombus and adequate venous blood flow. Pathology of the uterus showed a large leiomyoma with necrosis. Her lower extremity symptoms resolved.

Thrombolytic Therapy: Current Clinical Practice

Thrombolytic therapy is an essential tool in the array of therapies designed to reopen arteries and veins occluded with thrombus. As the use of thrombolytic agents has entered mainstream practice, their application has expanded to include a wide variety of indications and settings. Thrombolytic agents are used in patients who have thrombosis of coronary arteries, precerebral and cerebral arteries, the aorta, iliac and mesenteric arteries, and peripheral arteries. The use of thrombolysis in venous thrombosis has included deep venous thrombosis of the upper and lower extremities and vena cava, mesenteric veins, cerebral veins, and central access catheters. Guidelines are available from the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association regarding thrombolysis in myocardial infarction and from the American Stroke Association regarding thrombolysis in acute ischemic stroke.