Phlebitis
(Vein Inflammation)
In this condition factsheet:
The Facts on Phlebitis
Phlebitis, also called superficial phlebitis or thrombophlebitis,
is a condition where the veins close to the surface of the body (superficial
veins) become swollen and red and develop blood clots.
Causes of Phlebitis
Phlebitis occurs in people with poor blood circulation or veins damaged
from intravenous drug use or an intravenous catheter.
There are two kinds of veins in the legs, superficial veins and deep
veins. The superficial veins are found in the fatty layer right under the
skin, and the deep veins are found in the muscles. The deep veins in the legs
are squeezed by the surrounding muscles to help blood flow upward to the heart.
Since superficial veins aren't surrounded by muscles, there is no squeezing
effect and the blood moves more slowly. You're more likely to get phlebitis
in veins where the blood flows more slowly than normal, such as varicose veins.
Phlebitis is often caused by an injury to a vein. A clot, called a thrombus,
can form and stick to the side of the vein. Since there are no muscles to squeeze
the clot, it stays stuck inside the vein and blocks blood flow.
Phlebitis can also be a complication of connective tissue disorders such as
lupus, or of pancreatic, breast, or ovarian cancers.
Symptoms and Complications of Phlebitis
The area around the vein is red, swollen, and often painful. Because
the blood in the vein tends to clot, the vein feels hard, not soft like a normal
vein. The vein can feel hard down its entire length.
Untreated phlebitis can spread to deep veins, and a blood clot can possibly
break free from a deep vein and move towards the lungs. The moving blood
clot, called an embolus, can block blood flow to the lungs in rare occasions
- this is called a pulmonary embolus. Phlebitis is most likely to spread
to a deep vein from either of the two saphenous leg veins.
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