Clinical aspects of venous thromboembolism in special patient populations

In the field of venous thromboembolism (VTE), comprising deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE), incredible progression has been made throughout the centuries regarding our knowledge on the epidemiology, pathophysiology, prevention, diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of the disease. Various clinical aspects of the disease in specific patient populations and some rare forms of VTE have not yet been fully addressed. This thesis aims to evaluate several clinical elements of VTE in special patient populations. Part 1 describes several aspects of sex-specific VTE, in particular pregnancy, the use of hormonal contraceptives, and anticoagulant-associated vaginal bleeding. In part 2, the relationship between cancer and VTE is addressed, with a focus on unsuspected PE in cancer patients, which is an increasingly common finding. Part 3 aims to increase the knowledge on upper extremity deep vein thrombosis (UEDVT), a rare form of VTE. Several aspects are discussed. Finally, in part 4, insight is provided into the clinical impact of bleeding events with the use of oral factor Xa (fXa) inhibitors versus vitamin K antagonists (VKA) in patients with VTE.