The Risk Factors for Pulmonary Embolism in Patients with Lower Extremity Deep Vein Thrombosis.
- Author:
Sang Seob YUN
1
;
Seung Hye CHOI
;
Sang Dong KIM
;
Hang Joo CHO
;
Sun Cheol PARK
;
Kee Hwan KIM
;
Chang Hyeok AN
;
Jeong Soo KIM
;
In Sung MOON
;
Seung Jin YOO
;
Keun Woo LIM
;
Ji Il KIM
Author Information
1. Department of Surgery, The Catholic University of Korea College of Medicine, Uijeongbu, Korea. cmckji@catholic.ac.kr
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords:
Pulmonary embolism;
Deep vein thrombosis
- MeSH:
Abdominal Cavity;
Female;
Humans;
Immobilization;
Incidence;
Lower Extremity;
Male;
Obesity;
Pulmonary Embolism;
Retrospective Studies;
Risk Factors;
Thorax;
Thrombophilia;
Thrombosis;
Venous Thrombosis
- From:Journal of the Korean Society for Vascular Surgery
2008;24(2):119-124
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:Korean
-
Abstract:
PURPOSE: Pulmonary embolism (PE) represents the most important and fatal complication of deep vein thrombosis (DVT), of which a dislodged thrombus is most commonly derived from the deep venous system of the lower extremity. The aim of this study is to define the incidence and risk factors of PE in DVT patients. METHOD: We retrospectively reviewed 248 patients with DVT in a lower extremity at Uijeongbu St. Mary's Hospital between January 2000 and August 2008 and they had received additional examinations for making the diagnosis of PE regardless of its symptoms. RESULT: There were 117 men and 131 women, and their mean age was 59 years old (range: 13~91) at the time of diagnosis. There were 190 DVT-only patients and 58 patients with PE (the incidence rate of PE in the DVT patients: 23.8%). The gender ratio of the DVT only group was 1:1.3 (males: 83, female: 107) and the gender ratio of the DVT with PE group was 1:0.7 (males: 34, females: 24) (P<0.05). The risk factors of PE in the DVT patients were hypercoagulability (34%), cancer (23%), immobilization (17%), trauma/operation (10%), obesity (10%) and a past DVT history (7%). The idiopathic DVT patients had a relatively high cancer diagnosis rate (18.5%) and the majority of the newly detected cancer were from the chest or abdominal cavity. CONCLUSION: The incidence of DVT and PE is increasing and 23.8% of the DVT patients showed PE on their chest CT scan. The most significant risk factor for PE in the DVT patients was the male gender, yet an evaluation for cancer should be carefully done for idiopathic DVT patients because of their high rate of having cancer diagnosed.
