UTILITY OF LEG ULTRASONOGRAPHY IN SUSPECTED SYMPTOMATIC ISOLATED CALFDEEP VENOUS THROMBOSIS

PURPOSE: TO evaluate the utility of duplex ultrasonography in patients with suspected symptomatic, isolated calf deep venous thrombosis. PAT IENTS AND METHODS: Thirty patients with clinically suspected isolated calf deep venous thrombosis were examined with both duplex ultrasonogr aphy and contrast venography and the results were compared. RESULTS: V enography detected 7 cases of isolated calf deep venous thrombosis, al l of which were also detected by ultrasonography. Ultrasound identifie d an additional 3 cases of soleal vein thrombosis, but venography did not visualize these veins. Of the 20 negative ultrasound studies, 11 w ere technically inadequate; however, no false-negative ultrasound stud ies were noted. CONCLUSIONS: Compression ultrasonography may be reliab le for the evaluation of patients with suspected symptomatic infrapopl iteal deep venous thrombosis. Its apparent superiority to contrast ven ography in visualizing muscular calf veins warrants further study; how ever, the high rate of technical inadequacy in ultrasound studies obse rved here, if confirmed in larger studies, may limit the usefulness of ultrasound in this setting.