We are independent & ad-supported. We may earn a commission for purchases made through our links.
Advertiser Disclosure
Our website is an independent, advertising-supported platform. We provide our content free of charge to our readers, and to keep it that way, we rely on revenue generated through advertisements and affiliate partnerships. This means that when you click on certain links on our site and make a purchase, we may earn a commission. Learn more.
How We Make Money
We sustain our operations through affiliate commissions and advertising. If you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, we may receive a commission from the merchant at no additional cost to you. We also display advertisements on our website, which help generate revenue to support our work and keep our content free for readers. Our editorial team operates independently of our advertising and affiliate partnerships to ensure that our content remains unbiased and focused on providing you with the best information and recommendations based on thorough research and honest evaluations. To remain transparent, we’ve provided a list of our current affiliate partners here.
Health

Our Promise to you

Founded in 2002, our company has been a trusted resource for readers seeking informative and engaging content. Our dedication to quality remains unwavering—and will never change. We follow a strict editorial policy, ensuring that our content is authored by highly qualified professionals and edited by subject matter experts. This guarantees that everything we publish is objective, accurate, and trustworthy.

Over the years, we've refined our approach to cover a wide range of topics, providing readers with reliable and practical advice to enhance their knowledge and skills. That's why millions of readers turn to us each year. Join us in celebrating the joy of learning, guided by standards you can trust.

What is Superficial Thrombophlebitis?

By Geisha A. Legazpi
Updated: May 17, 2024
Views: 12,403
Share

Superficial thrombophlebitis is a painful and sometimes disabling condition of veins just beneath the skin that commonly affects the legs, groin, and arms; it is often correlated to varicose veins. Superficial thrombophlebitis is also called superficial phlebitis. Its main mechanism is an inflammatory-thrombotic process, which may be secondary to infection, injury, blood disorders, or poor blood flow.

Normally, blood flows through vessels in a smooth, uninterrupted manner. When a person has predisposing factors, such as atherosclerosis or uneven thickening of the blood vessel wall, blood disorders such as leukemia or polycythemia, blood vessel trauma or simply poor blood flow, thrombus formation occurs. A thrombus is simply a blood clot that stays in one place within the blood vessel, which is a vein in this case. What makes this thrombus stick to the walls of the vein is an inflammatory reaction that increases that stickiness of platelets. The combination of inflammation and thrombosis leads to the typical symptoms of thrombophlebitis.

When superficial phlebitis occurs secondary to an infection, it is called septic thrombophlebitis. Usually, such an infection follows the use of intravenous catheterization among people who are undergoing intravenous drug treatment for other diseases. When there is no infection involved, superficial phlebitis is simply called sterile thrombophlebitis.

Regardless of the cause, a person who has superficial thrombophlebitis often experiences pain or tenderness over the affected area. This pain usually occurs with swelling. After sometime, a red streak might appear along the path of a vein, which normally appears as a blue or green vessel under the skin. If this red streak is palpated or felt along its length, it would have the consistency of an elevated hard cord.

A severe vein disease called deep vein thrombosis (DVT) should not be mistaken for superficial thrombophlebitis. DVT causes little or no inflammation, which is why it does not present with tender veins. Additionally, because DVT involves deep veins, it usually lacks skin manifestations.

This does not mean that a person with superficial phlebitis should be complacent. Studies show that people with superficial thrombophlebitis often have concomitant DVT. This is because both conditions have similar risk factors and mechanisms of development. Additionally, untreated superficial phlebitis could eventually invade the deeper veins, leading to postphlebitic syndrome, DVT, or even pulmonary embolism. Therefore, a person with superficial thrombophlebitis should be screened for DVT and pulmonary embolism and treated as soon as possible.

Treatment targets the cause and provides relief of symptoms. If there is an infection, antibiotics are given. To address the thrombosis and pain, low-molecular weight heparin (LMWH) and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as aspirin are given. Other therapies that might help are regular walking, application of warm compresses, and use of compression stockings.

Share
WiseGeek is dedicated to providing accurate and trustworthy information. We carefully select reputable sources and employ a rigorous fact-checking process to maintain the highest standards. To learn more about our commitment to accuracy, read our editorial process.

Editors' Picks

Discussion Comments
Share
https://www.wisegeek.net/what-is-superficial-thrombophlebitis.htm
Copy this link
WiseGeek, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.

WiseGeek, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.