Abstract
Background The optimal first line treatment for patients with isolated superficial venous thrombosis
(SVT) of the lower extremity is unknown.
Objective This article reports estimates of the rate of venous thromboembolic complications
among patients with SVT according to treatment.
Materials and Methods A systematic review and meta-analysis was performed using unrestricted searches of
electronic databases. Reported events were transformed to event per 100 patient-years
of follow-up and a random effects model was used to calculate pooled rates according
to pre-specified treatment categories. The primary outcome was the occurrence of deep
vein thrombosis (DVT) or pulmonary embolism (PE) during the study follow-up period.
Results Seventeen articles, including 6,862 patients, were included in the meta-analysis.
Fondaparinux had the lowest event rate with 1.4 events per 100 patient-years of follow-up
(95% confidence interval [CI], 0.5–2.8, I
2 = 18%). Pooled event rates for DVT or PE ranged from 9.3 to 16.6 events per 100 patient-years
across other treatment categories, and the pooled event rate for no treatment/placebo
was 10.5 events per 100 patient-years (95% CI, 3.0–22.0). Major bleeding was low and
similar across all treatment categories. Heterogeneity was moderate to high for most
pooled estimates.
Conclusion While pooled event rates suggest that fondaparinux achieves the lowest rate of DVT
or PE, low-quality evidence for other treatments prevents firm conclusions about the
optimal treatment for SVT.
Keywords
superficial vein thrombosis - thrombophlebitis - systematic review - anticoagulants
- anti-inflammatory agents
