Vena caval thromboses.
BACKGROUND
Patients with vena caval (VC) thrombosis have been reported with a variety of clinical presentations, which may create a diagnostic challenge for physicians.


OBJECTIVE
The objective of the study was to evaluate the clinical characteristics of patients with VC thrombosis.


METHODS
Files and all imaging methods of consecutive patients with superior or inferior VC thrombosis with or without pulmonary embolism (PE) between January 26, 2001, and May 12, 2006, were retrospectively studied in detail.


RESULTS
In our series, VC thromboses within the inferior and superior VC were detected in 28 patients, mostly by combined computed tomographic venography and spiral computed tomographic pulmonary angiography. Nine of these 28 patients (32.1%) had VC thromboses without PE (7 patients with isolated and 2 patients with nonisolated VC thrombosis). Key symptoms and findings in the 9 patients without PE were unexplained dyspnea and tachypnea, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
Many patients with VC thrombosis do not have peripheral vein thrombosis. Moreover, nearly one third of patients with VC thrombosis have negative pulmonary angiograms but do have dyspnea and tachypnea.
Atici
Atilla G
AG
Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Ondokuz Mayis University Hospital 55139 Kurupelit, Samsun, Turkey. atillaatici@yahoo.com
Findik
Serhat
S
Light
Richard W
RW
Ozkaya
Sevket
S
Erkan
Levent
L
Akan
Huseyin
H
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000792:Angiography / Q000379:methods; D004417:Dyspnea / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011655:Pulmonary Embolism / Q000150:complications; D012120:Respiration Disorders / Q000209:etiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013479:Superior Vena Cava Syndrome / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D036542:Tomography, Spiral Computed / Q000379:methods; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods; D014682:Vena Cava, Inferior / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D020246:Venous Thrombosis / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D055815:Young Adult