OncoHematological Disease and Upper Extremities’ Deep Vein Thrombosis: Observational Analysis of the Causes, Complications, Therapies and Outcomes

Abstract

Background and Aims: Upper Extremities’ Deep Vein Thrombosis (UEDVT) is an event occurring with increasing incidence in the neoplastic patient for the cancer- related risk and for the use of central venous catheters (CVC) [1,2].

Our study is an observational descriptive analysis that consider a cluster of 42 patients with the characteristics shown in the table 1.

Materials and Methods: Patients with UEDVT associated with active malignant cancer were selected.

The data collected included basic characteristics of patients; features related to malignant disease, cancer therapy, DVT and complications.

Results: Among the patients examined, 80.9% had a central venous catheter with thrombotic event occurring within 4 months from the insertion.

The patients were treated with anticoagulant therapy as expressed in table 1.

Despite treatment with anticoagulant therapy at least for 3 months, only 42,9% had complete recanalization, 47,7% partial and 4,8% no recanalization.

Complications found: 2,4% had pulmonary embolism, 2,4% vena cava syndrome, 4,8% sepsis, 7,1% post-thrombotic syndrome and 7,1% minor bleeding.

Discussion: UEDTV in onco-hematological patients represents a not negligible event, especially because of the increasing use of CVCs. The risk of complications is low but should be considered. Complete venous recanalization, despite anticoagulant therapy, is not constant.