Residual vein thrombosis and D-dimer for optimizing duration of anticoagulation in idiopathic deep vein thrombosis.

Long-term anticoagulant treatment is highly effective in preventing recurrent Venous Thrombo-Embolism (VTE) in patients with idiopathic Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) of the lower limbs, though associated with an increased risk for major bleeding that may offset the benefits of anticoagulation. Accordingly to recent guidelines, patients with idiopathic DVT should be treated for at least 3 months and then should be evaluated for the risk-benefit ratio of long-term therapy. However, such 'time for decision' is often unclear and the optimal duration of VKA remains debatable.