A 1988 article in Chest questioned the possibility that patients with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) could develop Venous Thromboembolism (VTE). Debilitation, reduced physical activity and hypomobility are present in several neurological diseases, and already at the time a correlation had been described between Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) and Pulmonary Embolism (PE) and sequelae of stroke and quadriplegia, but not for demyelinating diseases. Doctors working with and treating these patients reported episodic events of thromboembolism, at times even fatal, which took place either at home or during periods of hospitalisation, but until that point there had been no evidence that could confirm or disprove these claims. Mechanical prophylaxis with anti-embolism stockings could perhaps find a role also due to the reduced risks of complications associated with them if properly used, but targeted studies on an adequate population for the proper period of time still must be conducted.
Last date updated on March, 2024