Risk Factor of Recurrent Venous Thrombosis after Endovascular Management of Iliofemoral Deep Vein Thrombosis

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: We wanted to evaluate the recurrence rate and risk factors of recurrent venous thrombosis after the endovascular management of acute iliofemoral deep vein thrombosis (DVT). METHOD: Between January 2002 and March 2005, catheter-directed thrombolysis with Urokinase (n=40) and/or stent placement (n=33) and/or aspiration (n=29) was performed in 40 patients with acute iliofemoral DVT. The patients were divided into two groups according to DVT recurrence during the follow-up period Group A (n=9) with recurrence and Group B (n=31) without recurrence. The risk factors of each group were analyzed for the duration of symptom before the thrombolytic therapy, the risk factors, the dose of Urokinase, and the duration and results of thrombolytic therapy. RESULT: 15 patients were men (mean age; 56.8 yr) and 25 were women (mean age; 61.4yr). The mean duration of symptoms prior to the initiation of thrombolysis for each group was 16.3+/-11.3 days vs. 7.0+/-7.0 days (P=0.040), the average total Urokinase dose was 4.83 million IU vs 2.07 million IU, respectively (P=0.080), and the average duration of therapy was 86.1 hours vs. 59.1 hours, respectively. Complete thrombus resolution was obtained in 33/40 cases. The incidence of decreased anticoagulants such as protein C/S, Antithrombin did not show any difference between two groups. DVT recurred in 5/33 (15.1%) patients for whom the DVT were completely resolved, and in 4/7 (57.1%) patients among the incompletely resolved cases (P=0.034). The causes of recurrence (5/33) in the completely resolved cases were as follows; poor compliance, and other anatomical and systemic diseases (lumbar body anomaly, Behcet's disease and cancer peritonii, after obstetrical dilatation & curettage). CONCLUSION: We can conclude that the residual venous thrombosis and duration of symptom before the thrombolytic therapy are important risk factors for recurrent thrombosis. Its assessment may help to modify the duration of anticoagulation therapy for DVT patient. Whether the evaluation of DVT risk factors may help for the secondary preventive treatment should be assessed by specifically designed intervention studies.