Thrombophlebitis

Thrombophlebitis is a condition where you have pain and swelling that happen in relation to a blood clot in one of your veins. It most often happens in veins in your legs but can happen in any vein in your body.

Depending on why it occurs, how severe it is and where it happens, this condition can sometimes indicate a serious medical problem. Minor cases are typically treatable and not dangerous, but early detection and quick treatment are critical to avoid serious complications in more severe cases.

The name thrombophlebitis, pronounced “thromb-oh-fleb-eye-tiss,” breaks down into the following component terms:

• Thrombo-: This comes from the word “thrombus,” the medical term for a blood clot that forms inside a blood vessel.
• -phleb-: Having to do with veins.
• -itis: Inflammation.

What happens with this condition?

Instead of being a one-way process, thrombophlebitis is more like the chicken and the egg question. It can happen in either of the following ways:

• Clot before inflammation: This is when a clot forms and causes irritation inside a blood vessel. That irritation leads to the inflammation that is key with thrombophlebitis.
• Inflammation before clot: In other cases, inflammation on the inside of a blood vessel (called phlebitis) can make it possible for a clot to attach to that vessel’s inner wall. That irritation is possible with infections or other conditions that cause swelling or irritation.

Thrombophlebitis is often a localized problem, meaning it commonly affects just one specific place in your body. However, the condition becomes much more serious if it spreads. Depending on where the initial clot forms, it can sometimes progress into dangerous and complicated conditions like deep vein thrombosis (DVT) or pulmonary embolism.

Thrombosis vs. thrombophlebitis: What’s the difference?

There’s a relationship between thrombophlebitis and thrombosis, but they aren’t the same thing. Thrombosis is when a blood clot forms inside one of your blood vessels. That means thrombophlebitis is a related process that sometimes — but not always — happens with thrombosis.

Are there different types of thrombophlebitis?

Thrombophlebitis can happen in any vein in your body. However, several named conditions involve thrombophlebitis that happens for a specific reason or in a certain place. Some of those named conditions include those listed below.

Deep vein thrombosis (DVT)

DVT is when a blood clot happens in a major vein, usually one in your legs. DVT is a serious condition that needs immediate treatment because it can lead to pulmonary embolism, a life-threatening medical emergency.

Superficial thrombophlebitis

Superficial thrombophlebitis happens in smaller veins (or branches of the main veins) in your arms or legs. These are rarely as severe as DVT, but it can be a sign that there’s potential for DVT to happen. Superficial thrombophlebitis can also lead to other serious conditions.

Migratory thrombophlebitis

As the name suggests, migratory thrombophlebitis is a condition that happens when a blood clot and related inflammation affect one vein (or a group of veins) and then migrate (move) onto any other vein(s). In some cases, this can involve multiple clots and may happen in multiple veins in your body at the same time. With this, a blood clot can move from a small vein into a larger one and put you at risk for more serious complications like pulmonary embolism.

Septic thrombophlebitis

This is when thrombophlebitis causes or happens because of an infection. When this kind of infection happens, it can lead to serious conditions, some of which include:

• Lemierre syndrome: This happens when an infection spreads from your upper respiratory system to one of your jugular veins.
• Pylephlebitis: This happens when inflammation of the portal veins, which funnels blood from your upper gastrointestinal tract through your liver, leads to an infection.
• Septic embolism: A septic (infected) clot can break free from where it formed and get stuck somewhere else in your body. That can spread the initial infection, block one or more blood vessels or both.

Septic thrombophlebitis is also especially dangerous because it may mean an infection is spreading throughout your body. That can cause sepsis, which is when your immune system dangerously overreacts to an infection spreading through your body. Sepsis is an extremely deadly medical emergency that needs quick diagnosis and rapid treatment.

Who does it affect?

Thrombosis is possible at any age, especially in people with certain health conditions or life circumstances. However, your risk for developing this condition starts to increase at age 45 and will continue to increase as you get older.

How common is this condition?

Depending on the specific type of thrombophlebitis, this condition ranges from rare to relatively common. Perhaps the most common and well-known example of a related condition is deep vein thrombosis. Each year in the United States, there are an estimated 900,000 cases of DVT, resulting in about 60,000-100,000 deaths per year.