The natural history of postoperative venous thromboemboli in gynecologic oncology: a prospective study of 382 patients

Journal Article · Sun Apr 15 04:00:00 EST 1984 · Am. J. Obstet. Gynecol.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/0002-9378(84)90632-X· OSTI ID:7007601

Clarke-Pearson, D L; Synan, I S; Colemen, R E; Hinshaw, W; Creasman, W T

Three hundred eighty-two patients who underwent major operations for gynecologic malignancy were studied prospectively to determine the natural history of postoperative venous thromboemboli. Iodine 125-labeled fibrinogen leg counting, to diagnose deep venous thrombosis, was performed daily. Sixty-three patients (17%) developed postoperative venous thromboembolic complications. Deep venous thrombosis initially arose in the calf veins in 52 patients. Twenty-seven percent of these thrombi lysed spontaneously. Four percent of thrombi in the calf veins progressed to deep venous thrombosis in the femoral vein, and 4% resulted in pulmonary emboli. Nine other patients developed proximal deep venous thrombosis without prior thrombosis in the calf veins. One patient with proximal deep venous thrombosis also had a pulmonary embolus. Two patients with no evidence of deep venous thrombosis on prospective /sup 125/I-labeled fibrinogen leg counting developed pulmonary emboli, including one fatal pulmonary embolus that was found at autopsy to have arisen from the internal iliac veins. Fifty percent of all venous thromboemboli were detected within 48 hours of operation, although two patients developed significant deep venous thrombosis and pulmonary emboli after discharge from the hospital. These results add important information to our understanding of this disease process, and raise issues related to appropriate treatment and prophylaxis of venous thromboembolism in patients after gynecologic operations.

• Research Organization: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC
• OSTI ID: 7007601
• Journal Information: Am. J. Obstet. Gynecol.; (United States), Journal Name: Am. J. Obstet. Gynecol.; (United States) Vol. 148:8; ISSN AJOGA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

550601* -- Medicine-- Unsealed Radionuclides in Diagnostics
62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BLOOD COAGULATION FACTORS
BLOOD VESSELS
BODY
BODY AREAS
CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES
CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEM
COAGULANTS
COUNTING TECHNIQUES
DAYS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
DIAGNOSIS
DIAGNOSTIC USES
DISEASES
DRUGS
ELECTRON CAPTURE RADIOISOTOPES
EMBOLI
FIBRINOGEN
GLOBULINS
HEMATOLOGIC AGENTS
HEMOSTATICS
INTERMEDIATE MASS NUCLEI
IODINE 125
IODINE ISOTOPES
ISOTOPES
LABELLED COMPOUNDS
LEGS
LIMBS
NUCLEI
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANS
PROTEINS
RADIOISOTOPE SCANNING
RADIOISOTOPES
THROMBOSIS
USES
VASCULAR DISEASES
VEINS