title: Pediatric venous thromboembolism in relation to adults.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This review was performed to analyze the current knowledge and controversies in the pathophysiology, diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes of pediatric venous thromboembolism (VTE) compared with adults.
  
  
  METHODS
  Searches of the MEDLINE database and manual searches of the references of selected articles were performed to select reports for their relevance and quality of information on the similarities and differences in pathophysiology, diagnosis, and treatment of VTE in children and adults.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Symptomatic VTE incidence is reported at a rate of 0.07 in every 10,000 children, which is significantly lower than the rate in adults. Pulmonary emboli in adolescents are rarely fatal, unlike in adults. VTE recurrence is also much lower in children. Young age has been shown to be protective of VTE, whereas central venous catheters are very important in pediatric venous thrombosis. The incidence of postthrombotic syndrome varies from 20% to 65%, with mild symptoms in most children. Cerebral and visceral vein thrombosis may lead to severe morbidity and death. Some factors of thrombophilia have a significant effect in the pediatric population; however, its overall significance is controversial. Most data on VTE treatment are extrapolated from studies in adults. Children with acute VTE should be treated with anticoagulation therapy. Treatment duration depends on the nature of the thrombosis and previous VTE events.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is a paucity of prospective randomized studies with data determining not only the effect of VTE but also the treatment options in children. Thrombophilia is a risk factor for pediatric VTE, but its significance has not been thoroughly investigated. Guidelines specific to children for antithrombotic therapy, prophylaxis, and optimal duration need re-evaluation and support by strong evidence.
authors.affiliation: Division of Vascular Surgery, Stony Brook University Medical Center, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA.
authors.forename: Georgios
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Spentzouris
authors.forename: Richard J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Scriven
authors.forename: Thomas K
authors.initials: TK
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Nicos
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Labropoulos
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000925:Anticoagulants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002675:Child, Preschool; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D005260:Female; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D054070:Postthrombotic Syndrome / Q000209:etiology; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012008:Recurrence; D012307:Risk Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D054556:Venous Thromboembolism / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy
chemical_list: D000925:Anticoagulants