Epidemiology

Superficial vein thrombosis (SVT) is thought to be a relatively common condition, but its exact incidence remains to be determined. This is in part due to the lack of studies in a disease previously considered to be relatively benign and self-limiting.

One study on SVT in primary care in the Netherlands reported an incidence rate of 1.3 per 1000 person-years.[4]​ One multicenter study in France reported an incidence of 0.64 per 1000 person-years for symptomatic, ultrasonography-confirmed SVT.[5]​ About 125,000 episodes of SVT a year have been reported in the US.[6] Most studies report a preponderance of women compared with men (50% to 70%), possibly because of the increased prevalence of varicose veins in women.[1]​​[7]​ Incidence increases with age, with a rate of 0.73 per 1000 person-years among those ages below 40 years and 2.95 per 1000 person-years among those ages >80 years in one study.[4]

SVT is generally believed to be more common than deep vein thrombosis, which has an estimated incidence ranging from 88 to 112 per 100 000 person-years.[1][8]

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