UNDERASSESSMENT OF LOWER-EXTREMITY DEEP VENOUS THROMBOSIS USING COLOR-FLOW DOPPLER COMPARED TO COMPRESSION SONOGRAPHY

The aim of this paper is to compare the accuracy of color Doppler to c ompression sonography in the diagnosis of lower extremity deep vein th rombosis. Longitudinal color flow imaging was performed in 60 lower ex tremities in patients with clinically suspected deep venous thrombosis (DVT), The study was then repeated by a blinded examiner using transv erse compression sonography. The results were then correlated. Thirty- five examinations were negative by both color how and compression meth ods. Twenty thrombi were diagnosed on compression sonography, while on ly 13 were diagnosed by the color flow method, Thirty-five percent of thrombi were missed using color flow imaging alone. We conclude that c ompression sonography should remain an integral part of the assessment of lower extremity DVT, as a significant number of thrombi might be o verlooked using longitudinal color flow imaging alone. This is especia lly true in non-occlusive thrombi that are adherent to the vessel wall . (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Limited, All rights reserved.