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Venous thrombosis can cause swelling and pain of the leg in which it forms. Large clots can also break free and travel to the heart and lungs, where they can cause cardiac arrest and sometimes death. This is called pulmonary embolism.
Review Date 4/1/2025
Updated by: Linda J. Vorvick, MD, Clinical Professor Emeritus, Department of Family Medicine, UW Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.
