Oberflächliche Phlebitis und Venenthrombose der oberen Extremität - Banal oder nicht?

Summary Background: In contrast to venous thromboembolism in the lower limbs, reports of thrombosis or phlebitis in the arm are rare. Methods: A review of different data bases was performed using the following key words: venous thrombosis, upper extremity, venous catheter, pulmonary embolism, thoracic outlet, varicose veins in upper limbs, superficial phlebitis upper extremity/limb. Results: Upper extremity thrombosis is often caused by catheters or in accordance to malignancies. Conclusion: Upper extremity thrombosis is more frequent than supposed and should be examined using duplex ultrasound.