Summary
Both deep venous thrombosis and DIC are intermediate mechanisms of disease – both
are a consequence of the deposition of fibrin-rich material in blood vessels some
distance from the primary site of tissue destruction. The great difference in the
sites of fibrin deposition may depend on the extent and site of activation of the
clotting mechanism. DIC likely occurs in the fluid phase of the blood as a consequence
of massive fibrin formation while thrombosis results from limited fibrin formation
at the interface between blood and vessel wall. Leukocytes may be essential for attaching
thrombi to the vessel wall in many places.
