PERFORMANCE OF ECHO-DOPPLER FOR DIAGNOSIS OF DEEP-VEIN THROMBOSIS OF THE LEG

To compare the operating characteristics of the venous echo-doppler an d that of venous phlebography in our setting, 30, consecutive patients admitted on suspicion of deep vein thrombosis of one leg underwent bo th examinations. Phlebography confirmed the diagnosis in 46 patients ( 51%). The sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predicti ve values of the echo-doppler were 91, 92, 94 and 90% respectively. Fo r the subgroup of patients with proximal deep vein thrombosis, these v alues were 97, 97, 97 and 97%, respectively; for the subgroup with dis tal deep vein thrombosis, these values were 60, 95, 75 and 90%, respec tively. This study confirms the excellent performance of the venous ec ho-doppler for the diagnosis of deep vein thrombosis of the leg in our hospital. However, in the subgroup of patients with distal deep vein thrombosis, only the sensitivity of the venous echo-doppler is relativ ely low and the diagnosis may still require color echo-doppler or phle bography.