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Virchow's triad

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Factors predisposing vascular thrombosis.
1. Changes in the vessel wall.
2. Changes in the pattern of blood flow (flow volume).
3. Changes in the constituents of blood (hypercoagulability).

This triad has been attributed to Rudolf Virchow. However, it is not what Virchow originally described, he did not believe that vessel wall injury was important in forming thrombosis. We thank Daniel J. Brotman, MD, for calling our attention to this question. Brotman is affiliated with the Department of General Internal medicine, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, Ohio.

Bibliography

  • R. L. K. Virchow:
    Gesammelte Abhandlungen zur wissenschaftlichen Medicin.
    Frankfurt am Main, Von Meidinger & Sohn, 1856.
    Contains: Thrombose und Embolie. Gefässentzündung und septische Infektion. Pages 219-732.
    English translation by A. C. Matzdorff and W. R. Bell: Thrombosis and Emboli. Canton, Massachusetts, Science History Publications, 1998. Die Cellularpathologie in ihrer Begründung auf physiologische und pathologische Gewebelehre. Berlin, A. Hirschwald, 1858.
    English translation by F. Chance: Cellular Pathology. Philadelphia, J. B. Lippincott, 1963.
  • D. J. Brotman, S. R. Deitcher, G. Y. Lip, et al:
    Virchow's triad revisited.
    Southern Medical Journal, Birmingham, Alabama, 2004, 97 (2): 213-214.

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