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Diagnosis of acute lower limb deep venous thrombosis with ultrasound: Trends and controversies
Author(s) -
Dauzat Michel,
Laroche JeanPierre,
Deklunder Ghislaine,
Ayoub Jean,
Quéré Isabelle,
Lopez FrançoisMichel,
Janbon Charles
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
journal of clinical ultrasound
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.272
H-Index - 61
eISSN - 1097-0096
pISSN - 0091-2751
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1097-0096(199709)25:7<343::aid-jcu1>3.0.co;2-a
Subject(s) - medicine , asymptomatic , venography , radiology , venous thrombosis , thrombosis , ultrasound , lower limb , surgery
Acute deep venous thrombosis of the lower limb is a common and threatening condition whose clinical diagnosis is known to be unreliable. Sonography has gradually superseded venography as the primary diagnostic procedure. A review of the medical literature shows that sonography offers a high level of sensitivity and specificity in symptomatic patients but suffers from a lack of sensitivity at the calf level and in asymptomatic patients. Technologic progress, as well as increased operator experience, may improve sensitivity. Nevertheless, several critical issues remain unresolved, such as the significance of free‐floating thrombi, the usefulness of calf and bilateral examination, the criteria that are essential to the diagnosis, the risk of compression sonography, and sonography's role in the direct detection of venous emboli. © 1997 John & Sons, Inc. J Clin Ultrasound 25 : 343–358, 1997.