Would you extend the duration of anticoagulation in patients with a provoked DVT, but evidence of residual clot at 3 months?

This is a really interesting discussion. I do tend to get Dopplers at the end of the anticoagulation treatment period, but only to assess the new baseline and to help decision-making in the future if they develop new symptoms and have another Doppler. I find this to be very helpful to understand if ...

Residual changes on the follow-up duplex scan may be associated with an increased risk of recurrence. This is particularly true if the patient has other co-morbidities that can be graded with the Caprini score. If the residual changes are minimal, I would advise a D-dimer and Factor VIII assay on an...

If the patient is younger, has no ongoing risk factors for thrombosis, and has tolerated the therapy well, I would continue treatment for another 3 months. If risk factors are present, I would continue indefinitely.