Prevalence, Risk Factors and Outcomes of Pediatric Vascular Thrombosis

Thrombosis is a blood clot that develops within veins or sometimes arteries in the body. Occur most commonly in the inferior and superior vena cava, their major tributaries, the deep veins of the extremities, the splanchnic veins, as well as the cerebral venous sinuses. The incidence of venous thromboembolism (VTE) increases with age. In the pediatric population (0-18 years) the incidence is approximately 0.7-2.1 cases per 100,000 children,1-3 while in the adult population the incidence is 100-150 per 100,000.4 Risk factors include the presence of central venous lines, trauma, major surgery followed by bedrest, immobilization, infection (cellulitis, osteomyelitis, phlebitis), cancer chemotherapy, inflammatory bowel disease, nephrotic syndrome, obesity, dehydration, and total parenteral nutrition. Patients with vascular thromboembolism present with various symptoms depending on site of thrombosis , symptoms include swelling, redness, pain , low-grade fever In cases that develop pulmonary embolism they experience chest pain and shortness of breath that begin suddenly Diagnosis of vascular thromboembolism include combination of signs and symptoms together with laboratory investigations that include routine lab investigations, D-dimer , protein s , protein C and antithrombin lll also imaging studies as Doppler US , MSCT with angiography and MRV Vascular thrombosis mainly treated with anticoagulant therapy with subcutaneous injection of low molecular weight heparin These medications prevent the clot from growing and decrease the risk of its breaking apart and causing further complications Other treatments may include wearing compression stockings and applying warm packs to improve blood flow and pain caused by the clot