MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia:Venous thrombosis

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Venous thrombosis - series: Normal anatomy

Venous thrombosis - seriesIllustrations:

Normal anatomy

Veins carry blood back to the heart from the tissues. Blood flowing in the veins is under lower pressure and moves more slowly than blood flowing in the arteries. Blood is therefore more likely to clot in the veins, thus blocking the flow through the veins.

Update Date: 4/27/2007

Updated by: Rita Nanda, M.D., Department of Medicine, Section of Hematology/Oncology, University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, IL. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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