Prevalence of asymptomatic deep vein thrombosis in patients with inflammatory bowel diseases in the ambulatory surgery setting

Introduction: Patients suffering from inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are reported at higher risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE). This is relevant in IBD patients scheduled for surgery. We aimed to seek for differences in the prevalence of asymptomatic lower extremity deep venous thrombosis (DVT) in IBD patients observed in outpatient surgery setting compared with controls. Methods: All consecutive patients diagnosed with IBD observed in outpatient setting between December 2013 and June 2014 were prospectively included. A sex, age, and gender matched cohort of non- IBD patients served as control group. All patients underwent clinical examination and ultrasound (US) assessment of their lower extremity venous vascular system performed by a clinician blind to patient diagnosis. Results: A total of 40 IBD patients and 40 controls agreed to participate. One IBD patient and one control were found with nonocclusive chronic DVT. No differences were observed in valvular incompetence between the two groups. Neither acute DVT nor severe venous incompetence were observed. Surgery was only performed in one control. Conclusion: Our data show that patients with IBD in remission are not at higher risk of either asymptomatic DVT or venous insufficiency compared with general population, suggesting that the higher risk of VTE events may rely on complex inflammatory mechanisms related with immune response. Screening asymptomatic IBD patients for DVT showed no advantages, suggesting that routine control in ambulatory surgery units is not warranted.