Transient severe eosinophilia precipitating massive venous thrombosis in a patient with hereditary thrombophilia

We describe a patient homozygous for both the prothrombin G20210A and methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase C667T mutations who was symptom-free for 40 years and developed near-catastrophic thrombotic complications following transient, severe eosinophilia. This course of events raises the possibility of an increased risk of thrombosis associated with transient eosinophilia in the presence of hereditary thrombophilia and supports the concept of multifactorial etiology of venous thrombosis. Our experience suggests that in patients with severe eosinophilia, evaluation for known causes of hereditary or acquired thrombophilia may be useful for identifying subjects at increased risk of thrombosis. Copyright (C) 2004 S. Karger AG, Basel.