Deep vein thrombosis of the upper limbs.

For a long time, DVTs of the upper limb were considered to be benign compared with DVTs of the lower limb, but they are now proving to be a major cause of morbidity because of the complications they can give rise to, such as pulmonary embolism, recurrence or post-thrombotic syndrome. Their incidence is increasing considerably due to the widespread use of central venous catheters and implantable chambers for chemotherapy. Method: This was a descriptive, retrospective, single- centre study conducted in the Internal Medicine Department of the University Hospital Centre (CHU) (Hôpital Charles Nicole) in Rouen between January 1, 2000, and July 31, 2019. All patients included had upper limb DVT confirmed by venous Doppler ultrasound, venography or CT scan. Data were collected retrospectively from medical records. Results: 57 patients were included in our study. 30 were men and the mean age at thrombosis was 56.24 years. Primary DVT was present in 40% of our population. Cancer was active in 28%. An endovenous device was present in 42% of cases. Upper limb DVT was complicated by PE in 4 patients and TPS in 17.5% of the population. Conclusion: Our study focused on the epidemiology of DVST. Our results are comparable with those in the literature in terms of demographics, but with a large number of so-called primary thromboses. No cancer was diagnosed during the follow-up of idiopathic thrombosis, suggesting that a systematic search for cancer is not necessary. Thrombosis associated with peripheral catheters is not anecdotal.