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Definition

By Mayo Clinic staff

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Illustration showing blood clot in leg vein Blood clot in leg vein

Thrombophlebitis (throm-bo-fluh-BI-tis) occurs when a blood clot causes swelling in one or more of your veins, typically in your legs. On rare occasions, thrombophlebitis (often shortened to "phlebitis") can affect veins in your arms or neck.

The affected vein may be near the surface of your skin, causing superficial thrombophlebitis, or deep within a muscle, causing deep vein thrombosis (DVT). A clot in a deep vein increases your risk of serious health problems, including a dislodged clot (embolism) traveling to your lungs and blocking a pulmonary artery (pulmonary embolism). Thrombophlebitis can be caused by prolonged inactivity, such as from sitting for a long time in an airplane or automobile or from lengthy bed rest after surgery.

You can use self-care methods to ease pain and reduce your risk of clots. Various treatments, including medications and surgery, also are available for thrombophlebitis.

Symptoms
References
  1. Deep vein thrombosis. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/Dvt/DVT_All.html. Accessed Dec. 29, 2008.
  2. Torpy JM, et al. Thrombophlebitis. Journal of the American Medical Association. 2008;300:1718.
  3. Rodriguez-Peralto JL, et al. Superficial thrombophlebitis. Seminars in Cutaneous Medicine & Surgery. 2007;26:71.
  4. Di Nisio M, et al. Treatment for superficial thrombophlebitis of the leg. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2007:CD004982.
  5. Bauer KA, et al. Overview of the causes of venous thrombosis. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Dec. 29, 2008.
  6. Landaw SA, et al. Approach to the diagnosis and therapy of deep vein thrombosis. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Dec. 29, 2008.

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Jan. 30, 2009

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