Deep vein thrombosis (throm-BO-sis) is a blood clot that forms in a vein deep in the body. Most deep vein clots occur in the lower leg or thigh. They also can occur in other parts of the body. If a clot in a vein breaks off and travels through your bloodstream, it can lodge in your lung. This is called pulmonary embolism (PUL-mo-ner-e EM-bo-lizm), which is a very serious condition that can cause death. Blood clots in the thigh are usually more likely to break off and cause pulmonary embolism than clots in the lower leg or other parts of the body. A blood clot also can occur in veins that are close to the surface of the skin. This type of blood clot is called superficial venous thrombosis or phlebitis (fle-BI-tis). Blood clots in superficial veins are not dangerous because they can’t travel to the lungs. The animation below shows a blood clot in deep vein thrombosis. Click the "start" button to play the animation. Written and spoken explanations are provided with each frame. Use the buttons in the lower right corner to pause, restart, or replay the animation, or use the scroll bar below the buttons to move through the frames. The animation shows how a blood clot in a deep vein of the leg can break off, travel to the lungs, and block blood flow. Other Names for Deep Vein Thrombosis - DVT
- Venous thrombosis
- Blood clot in the legs
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