Objective: To report a case of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) related to prolonged wheelchair use.
Case report: A 48-year-old patient with spastic quadriplegia usually spent 10-12 hours daily in a wheelchair. He suddenly developed marked swelling of his right foot, leg and thigh. His plasma D-dimer level was 1,030 (normal <500) ng/ml. A duplex ultrasound revealed common femoral vein thrombosis. He was hospitalized and anticoagulated; his extremity swelling decreased considerably by day 45. Hypercoagulability work-up disclosed previously subclinical mild elevation of serum cardiolipin immunoglobulin G (antiphospholipid syndrome). This patient will receive longterm anticoagulation.
Conclusion: Prolonged sitting in wheelchair may cause DVT. To enhance public recognition of this avoidable risk, we propose the term "wheelchair thrombosis syndrome."