The patient complains of soreness or of pain on standing and walking that is usually relieved by rest with the leg elevated. On examination, deep calf tenderness can be elicited, but the pain of DVT is often difficult to differentiate from muscle pain. Loss of peripheral arterial pulses occasionally accompanies massive DVT, but venous thrombosis can also be secondary to acute arterial occlusion. Chronic venous insufficiency in the leg after DVT manifests as edema and dilated superficial veins. The patient may complain of fullness, aching, or tiredness in the leg or may have no discomfort.
Symptoms occur during standing or walking and are relieved by rest and elevation.
There is no tenderness over the deep veins to indicate an acute thrombophlebitis, but a history of DVT should be elicited. Stasis syndrome occurs if edema is not controlled by an elastic support. With time, skin pigmentation appears on the medial and sometimes the lateral aspect of the ankle and lower leg. Further complications include stasis dermatitis and stasis ulceration in these areas. They should not be excised unless severe.