What is Superficial Thrombophlebitits?
Superficial thrombophlebitis or superficial vein thrombosis with phlebitis is a condition where superficial veins thrombose or clot can cause inflammation and induration (hardening, thickening) of the overlying skin. There is also associated erythema (redness) and palpable warmth over the course of the vein. Patients complain of pain upon touching the thrombosed cords of veins and may feel warmth upon touching the area that is involved with phlebitis. They often go to emergency rooms for evaluation, believing that the redness represents infection in the lower extremity. In turn, emergency room physicians may incorrectly treat the problem with antibiotics, prolonging the duration of symptoms and skin complications that result from this inflammatory process.
Once the phlebitis is treated with anti-inflammatory medications (see below for Phlebitis PAK), the vein can be treated using an ultracision microphlebectomy technique to avoid trophic changes, i.e., hyperpigmentation of the overlying skin. Often, the redness resolves and hyperpigmentation is the residual effect with continued aching overlying the chronically inflamed cord of thrombosed varicse veins (chronic phlebitis or thrombophlebitis).
Superficial vein thrombophlebitis is treated conservatively in most cases with non steroidal anti-inflammatory medications and/or Phlebitis PAK. Phlebitis PAK can be obtained through our website www.MyVeinStore.com or at our offices.
">Video of superficial thrombophlebitis of the great saphenous vein by Dr Karamanoukian