Recent findings in the epidemiology, diagnosis and treatment of superficial-vein thrombosis

Recent data on lower-limb superficial-vein thrombosis (SVT) may substantially impact its clinical management. Thus, the clear confirmation that SVT is closely linked to deep-vein thrombosis (DVT) or pulmonary embolism (PE) highlights the potential severity of the disease. DVT or PE are diagnosed in 20-30% of SVT patients. Moreover, clinically relevant symptomatic thromboembolic events complicate isolated SVT (without concomitant DVT or PE at diagnosis) in 4-8% of patients. For the first time, an anticoagulant treatment, once-daily 2.5 mg fondaparinux for 45 days, was demonstrated to be effective and safe for preventing these symptomatic thromboembolic events in patients with lower-limb isolated SVT in the randomized placebo-controlled CALISTO study. Based on these recent findings, new recommendations on the management of SVT patients, including complete ultrasonography examination of the legs, and in patients with isolated SVT, prescription of once-daily 2.5 mg fondaparinux subcutaneously for 45 days on top of symptomatic treatments, may be proposed.