Lower-extremity deep venous thrombosis: further experience with and refinements of US assessment.

Overview

During a 1-year period, 537 compression ultrasound (CU) examinations were performed in 506 extremities of 485 patients for evaluation of possible deep venous thrombosis (DVT). Decisions regarding therapy were based on the result of this test in both outpatients and inpatients. Doppler ultrasound was also used during the last 7 months of the study, but this procedure did not alter the results obtained with CU alone. Incidental findings (eg, Baker cysts, aneurysms, and lymph nodes) were noted in 42 patients and were thought to be nonthrombotic causes of leg swelling or pain that could not be detected with venography. The reliability and clinical acceptance of CU as a means of diagnosing lower-extremity DVT resulted in a 50% yearly reduction in venography, with a concomitant 130% increase in the number of cases of DVT diagnosed.