Deep Vein Thrombosis in a Young, Healthy Baseball Catcher: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

Summary:

Venous thromboembolism is becoming increasingly recognized as a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in the hospitalized pediatric population. However, young healthy athletes can present with unique risk factors for deep vein thrombosis (DVT) that can be overlooked. Here we report a case of an adolescent male with no inherited risk factors or prior history of DVTs who developed a right femoral vein DVT in the context of playing catcher in baseball after recovering from a bout of streptococcal pharyngitis. We review the evidence that suggests that repetitive squatting-induced compression of the femoral vein can cause the venous stasis and endothelial microtrauma that contributed to the formation of this thrombus.