Axillary Vein Thrombosis: Presentation of Four Cases and Review of the Literature -

Four patients with axillary vein thrombosis (A VT) are presented. Thrombosis in the deep veins of the upper limb is quite an infrequent medical problem presented to doctors in different specialities and with varying patient profiles. Medical and surgical trainees come across those cases in emergency departments and unfortunately there is often a delay in diagnosis. Bearing in mind its significant morbidity and potential mortality, early diagnosis of AVT is extremely important. Innocent swelling with venous engorgement in the upper limb and predisposing factors from the patient’s history should alert the clinician for further investigations to confirm or exclude it before it is too late.