Conservative management of chronic upper extremity venous outflow occlusion

Abstract

Chronic upper extremity venous outflow occlusion (UEVOO) occurs frequently among hospitalized patients as a result of various anatomical or pathological etiologies. This includes venous thoracic outlet syndrome, catheter-related injury, malignancy, and hypercoagulable states. While open surgical and endovascular therapies have increasingly been utilized in managing UEVOO, many patients can still be successfully managed with non-invasive therapies. In this review, we will discuss how conservative measures such as anticoagulation and compression therapy can be applied to different causes of UEVOO. The optimal treatment of patients with chronic upper extremity occlusion can be accomplished by deciding which patients will be most likely to benefit from conservative management.