Frontiers | Current treatment strategies for primary upper extremity deep venous thrombosis; a retrospective observational multicenter case series

IntroductionUpper extremity deep venous thrombosis can be divided in primary upper extremity deep venous thrombosis (pUEDVT) and secondary upper extremity deep venous thrombosis (sUEDVT). In sUEDVT a clear cause for thrombosis can be found; mostly indwelling devices such as intravenous catheters and pacemaker leads. In pUEDVT this clear cause for thrombosis is lacking. Primary upper extremity deep venous thrombosis (pUEDVT) can be divided into two subcategories; venous thoracic outlet syndrome (VTOS) (including the effort induced Paget-Schroetter syndrome) and idiopathic thrombosis. The incidence of pUEDVT is unclear, and estimates range between 0.5–3/100.000 people per year (1–3).Currently implemented treatment strategies for pUEDVT can be roughly divided into a conservative and invasive approach. The conservative treatment consists of anticoagulation therapy, preferably Direct Oral Anticoagulants (DOAC) for at least 3–6 months but often for a prolonged period of time, combined with e...