Grey-scale ultrasound is a useful investigation in selected patients with a painful swollen leg. It is of particular value in cases in which there is a clinical suspicion of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) but other features, such as an atypical history or equivocal radiology, suggest alternative pathology. Five such cases are presented in which ultrasound showed transonic lesions. The cause of the ...

In a prospective study of 183 patients undergoing lateral thoracotomy the 125 I fibrinogen uptake test and perioperative heparin prophylaxis for deep-vein thrombosis were investigated. There was an incidence of deep vein thrombosis in 51% in untreated control patients. The heparin prophylaxis effectively reduced the incidence of deep venous thrombosis to 28% (P less than 0.005) without increasi...

The physiological effects of static compression of the leg have recently been reinvestigated. Graded compression extending from the ankle to the upper thigh produces the maximum increase in velocity of femoral vein blood flow and the maximum decrease in clearance times of contrast media and radioisotopes from the deep veins of the calf. This type of compression may be easily produced by a speci...

Duplex scanning has been proposed as a safe alternative to contrast venography for diagnosing deep venous thrombosis, but its accuracy has not been proved. In this prospective, double-blind study of 47 patients, the sensitivity and specificity of duplex scan criteria were determined relative to contrast venography for lower extremity deep venous thrombosis. Criteria considered to show the prese...

OBJECTIVE To assess the accuracy of the Wells rule for excluding deep vein thrombosis and whether this accuracy applies to different subgroups of patients. DESIGN Meta-analysis of individual patient data. DATA SOURCES Authors of 13 studies (n = 10,002) provided their datasets, and these individual patient data were merged into one dataset. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA Studies were eligible if the...

OBJECTIVE To determine whether the use of age adapted D-dimer cut-off values can be translated to primary care patients who are suspected of deep vein thrombosis. DESIGN Retrospective, cross sectional diagnostic study. SETTING 110 primary care doctors affiliated with three hospitals in the Netherlands. PARTICIPANTS 1374 consecutive patients (936 (68.1%) aged >50 years) with clinically sus...

OBJECTIVE To determine the optimum duration of oral anticoagulant therapy after an episode of deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism, or both. DESIGN Multicentre, prospective, randomised study with follow-up for one year. SETTING 46 hospitals in United Kingdom. PARTICIPANTS Patients aged > or =18 with deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism, or both. INTERVENTIONS Three (n=369) o...

Objective To determine whether the use of age adapted D-dimer cut-off values can be translated to primary care patients who are suspected of deep vein thrombosis. Design Retrospective, cross sectional diagnostic study. Setting 110 primary care doctors affiliated with three hospitals in the Netherlands. Participants 1374 consecutive patients (936 (68.1%) aged >50 years) with clinically suspected...

We report the case of a previously well 18-year-old male who presented to the Emergency Department with lower limb pain. An ultrasound demonstrated extensive left sided deep vein thrombosis and computed tomography demonstrated inferior vena cava agenesis, leading to the diagnosis of inferior vena cava agenesis associated deep vein thrombosis. The aetiology of inferior vena cava agenesis is expl...