Spontaneous acute superficial vein thrombosis of the legs: do we really need to treat?

Spontaneous acute superficial vein thrombosis (SVT) of the leg is now generally recognized as an integral component of venous thromboembolic disease with potentially severe consequences. However, the relatively low grades of some current international recommendations and uncertainty regarding the cost-effectiveness of available therapies may prompt questioning of the real need to treat patients with SVT and explain the persisting heterogeneity of their management in practise. Yet several studies have consistently shown high rates of thromboembolic complications associated with SVT, whether at first presentation or during follow-up. The CALISTO trial established for the first time the clinical benefit of a well-defined anticoagulant regimen for the prevention of serious thromboembolic complications in SVT patients, and we believe that patients such as those included in this trial should receive this regimen as tested. However, several areas of uncertainty remain for categories of SVT patients not evaluated in CALISTO.