Thrombophlebitis is a relatively common disease. In some instances it is a component or complication of specific clinical entities which do not involve primarily the venous system; in others it results from direct infection of the vein wall, while in still others it appears as an isolated affection without any discoverable underlying illness or cause. It is with this last type, so-called idiopathic thrombophlebitis, that this paper is concerned.
We have recently had the opportunity to study two young men who presented themselves with an undiagnosable illness, the features of which were strongly suggestive of an infection. No evidence of phlebitis was present in the acute phase, and this disease was not suspected until many weeks after recovery, when evidence of a severe degree of venous occlusion became apparent. It is the purpose of this paper to report the clinical findings and course in these two cases and to present