Young girl with a swollen leg

Deep-vein thrombosis is an important complication of several inherited and acquired disorders, but may also occur spontaneously. To minimize the risk of fatal pulmonary embolism, accurate diagnosis and prompt therapy are crucial. Individual signs and symptoms are of little value in the diagnosis of deep vein thrombosis. The diagnosis can be confirmed by objective tests in only about 30% of patients with symptoms. Once deep-vein thrombosis is diagnosed, the goals of treatment are relief of symptoms and prevention of embolization and recurrence. The cornerstone of initial therapy is either unfractionated or low-molecular- weight heparin, followed by an oral anticoagulant drug