Venous thromboembolism in patients with malignant tumors of bone and soft tissue

Background. Optimization of diagnostics of embologenic venous thrombosis and prevention of venous thromboembolism in patients with malignant tumors of bone and soft tissue was the aim of this study.
Methods. 84 patients were examined with sarcomas of bone and soft tissue, that underwent surgical treatment. Patients of the main group (49 patients) received daily ultrasound examinations of the inferior vena cava, and iliac veins of the lower extremities. Patients in the control group (35 patients) ultrasound examinations were performed only in cases of clinical symptoms of venous thrombosis. The clinical manifestations of thrombosis have been studied in patients of both groups.
Results. The coincidence of the clinical manifestations of thrombosis and results of ultrasound diagnosis of thrombosis was 34% of cases. Ultrasonic studies of the dynamics conducted in patients of the main group, revealed embologenic asymptomatic venous thrombosis in 11 patients. Prevention of pulmonary embolism, based on the results of ultrasound, allowed to prevent the development of venous thromboembolism in patients of the main group.
Conclusion. Systematic ultrasound of inferior vena cava, and iliac veins of the lower extremities, performed during the special treatment of malignant tumors of bone and soft tissues, can detect embologenic thrombosis and contribute to the implementation of effective prevention of venous thromboembolism.