Deep Vein Thrombosis
A deep venous thrombosis, or DVT, is a blood clot that occurs in any of the deep veins of the body. There are many causes of DVT, including surgery, certain medications, prolonged immobilization, and inherited blood disorders. DVTs typically present with pain and swelling in an extremity. A life-threatening condition, pulmonary embolism, can occur in patients who develop a DVT that is not treated. The diagnosis of a DVT can be confirmed with a simple, painless ultrasound procedure called a venous duplex.