Controversies in Venous Thromboembolism: To Treat or Not to Treat

Unlike proximal deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism, which have been extensively studied and for which management is well standardized, much less is known about the optimal management of superficial vein thrombosis, distal deep vein thrombosis, and subsegmental pulmonary embolism. This session will focus on establishing the risk-benefit ratio of anticoagulant therapy for these challenging venous thrombotic complications.

Dr. Jan Beyer-Westendorf will discuss recent clinical advances in the management of superficial vein thrombosis, which is still poorly standardized and remains controversial. He will summarize the available evidence and aim to provide practical guidance based on a clinical decision pathway.

Dr. Marc Righini will discuss new evidence regarding the risk-benefit ratio of anticoagulant therapy in the management of distal deep vein thrombosis. He will review the conclusions of recently published clinical trials and help to develop a management strategy for this patient population.

Dr. Marc Carrier will discuss the management of subsegmental pulmonary embolism, a clinical challenge that is becoming increasingly common since the introduction of multirow detector computed tomographic pulmonary angiography for the diagnosis of acute pulmonary embolism. He will summarize the available evidence, discuss optimal management strategies, and highlight areas of uncertainty.