Upper extremity deep venous thrombosis is a condition with increasing prevalence, with high risk of morbidity and mortality, due to embolic complications. In the majority of the cases, thrombosis involves more than one venous segment, most frequently being affected the subclavian vein, followed by internal jugular vein, brachiocephalic vein and basilic vein. Upper extremity deep venous thrombosis in patients without risk factors for thrombosis is called primary deep venous thrombosis and includes idiopathic thrombosis and effort thrombosis. Deep venous thrombosis of upper extremity is called secondary when there are known risk factors and it is encountered mainly in older patients, with many comorbidities. The positive diagnosis is established only after paraclinical and imaging investigations, ultrasonography being the most useful diagnostic method. The most important complication, with high risk of death, is pulmonary embolism. Treatment consists in anticoagulant therapy, for preventing thrombosis extension and pulmonary embolism.
Incidental catheter-associated upper extremity deep venous thrombosis detected by point-of-care ultrasound