Thrombosis Knowledge Centre

Understanding Thrombosis

Venous Thromboembolism (VTE)

VTE is a condition in which a clot forms in a vein, leading to deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and/or its major complication, pulmonary embolism (PE).

DVT and PE are two manifestations of the same disease, VTE.

In more than 60% of cases, PE originates in the deep veins of the legs. DVT and PE coexist in most patients and the both share similar risk factors.

The same therapeutic approach based on anticoagulant drugs has proved effective in both DVT and PE. Click here to learn more about anticoagulants.

The clinical diagnosis of VTE is unreliable and VTE is often silent. Only about half the patients suspected of having DVT actually have the disease.

DVT is often clinically silent - less than 50% of patients with proximal DVT. The more prone to embolise, present with clinical signs.

Sudden death is often the first and only manifestation of VTE, and less than 50% of all cases of fatal PE are detected prior to death. DVT and PE coexist in most patients, one of the two being silent. Up to 50% of patients with proven proximal DVT have asymptomatic PE, and asymptomatic DVT is found in approximately 70% to 90% of patients with confirmed, clinically symptomatic PE.

Unrecognised and untreated VTE may lead to harmful consequences as seen in the table below:

In the short term	In the long term
Recurrence	Post-thrombotic syndrome
Death : VTE is life-threatening	Chronic pulmonary hypertension

VTE is a frequent disease: the third most frequent cardiovascular disease after coronary disease and stroke.¹
VTE is a major public health issue.

References:
1. Giuntini, et al. Chest 1995;107(Suppl):3S-9S