http://www.appliedradiology.com RSS Feed on Applied Radiologyhttp://www.appliedradiology.com//Issues/2001/07/Supplements/Catheter-directed-thrombolysis-for-the-treatment-of-acute-deep-venous-thrombosis.aspxDeep venous thrombosis (DVT) is a major medical problem with significant morbidity and mortality from its associated complications, such as pulmonary embolism, post-thrombotic syndrome, and phlegmasia cerulea dolens. Catheter-directed thrombolysis is a promising and relatively new technique to treat acute DVT and to relieve its symptoms rapidly. The recent unavailability of urokinase has resulted in an increased demand for other thrombolytic agents. Alteplase has demonstrated similar success and complication rates, but with the added benefits of a shorter infusion time and lower cost. Reteplase is a newer thrombolytic agent, and preliminary results have been encouraging, especially when reteplase infusion is combined with the administration of glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors. Mechanical thrombectomy, particularly when used in conjunction with catheter-directed thrombolysis, is an encouraging technique to further improve the interventionalist's ability to treat DVT and is undergoing continued investigation. This article will review recent advances in the area of catheter-directed thrombolysis for DVT, including several abstracts presented at the recent Society of Cardiovascular and Interventional Radiology 2001 Annual Meeting.Wednesday, 05 Sep 2001 19:48:04 GMT