Deep vein thrombosis : Ultrasound assessment using vein compression.

Abstract

Compressibility of the deep veins of lower extremities by color doppler ultrasound, in the cases suspected to have deep vein thrombosis was analyzed.Contrast venography was the gold standard in the diagnosis of the deep venous thrombosis. A retrospective study was performed in 34 cases. There was no false positive case. Twenty contrast venography diagnosed deep venous thrombosis showed ta positive ultrasonography. The sensitivity was 90 percent and specificity was 100 percent. The false negative studies should be avoidable if more careful examination was performed. The diagnosis of deep venous thrombosis by demonstration of the loss of compressibility by ultrasonography was very simple and accurate. With careful examination, it should obviate the need to perform semi-invasive contrast venography, at least in the ultrasonographic deep venous thrombosis positive cases.