Summary
The initial goals of treatment for venous thromboembolism (VTE) are usually achieved
with anticoagulation. This reviewfocuses on fibrinolysis and interventional therapy
in VTE, treatments whose indications are much more controversial. The benefit-to-risk
ratio of fibrinolysis in deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is dubious. Thrombolytic treatment
is recommended forunstable patients with pulmonary embolism (PE), although these patients
represent less than 5% of all patients hospitalized for PE. The use of thrombolytic
treatment in patients with sub-massive PE remains controversial. Two indications are
widely recognized for inferior vena cava filters: the first isa permanent or temporary
contraindication to anticoagulation, in patients with proximal DVT or PE. The second
is the occurrence of PE or propagation of the thrombus in patients treated for DVT
or recurrence in patients with PE. The PREPIC study demonstrated that in acute VTE,
vena cava filters reduced the risk of PE but increased that of DVT and had no effect
on survival. The fact that prevention of PE is mainly observed during the short initial
period following the diagnosis of an acute VTE event justifies a new randomized study
with the use of retrievable filters as an adjuvant to anticoagulation in high risk
patients with PE.
Keywords
Deep vein thrombosis - pulmonary embolism - ibrinolysis - thrombolysis - inferior
vena cava filter