DIAGNOSIS OF DEEP-VEIN THROMBOSIS BY COMBINATION OF DOPPLER ULTRASOUND FLOW EXAMINATION AND STRAIN-GAUGE PLETHYSMOGRAPHY - AN ALTERNATIVE TO VENOGRAPHY ONLY IN PARTICULAR CONDITIONS DESPITE IMPROVED ACCURACY OF THE DOPPLER METHOD

  • 1 January 1982
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 47  (2) , 141-144
Abstract
Doppler ultrasound flow examination, strain gauge plethysmography and contrast venography were performed in 160 lower limbs of 80 inpatients. Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) was suspected in 87 limbs. Using measurement of venous stop-flow pressure, the Doppler method had an overall sensitivity of 83%. By combined use of Doppler and plethysmography, sensitivity was increased to 96%. Specificity was 62 and 51%, respectively. With a positive and a negative predictive value of 80 and 73%, respectively, the combination of both noninvasive methods cannot reliably replace venography in the diagnosis of DTV, although all (40 of 40) thromboses proximal to or involving the popliteal segment were detected by either Doppler and plethysmography or both. After exclusion of 14 patients (18%) suffering from conditions known to alter the results of these noninvasive methods, the positive predictive value of abnormal findings in both Doppler and plethysmography was increased to 94% for suspected limbs, while negative predictive value of both negative Doppler and plethysmography was 90%, allowing the avoidance of venography in these patients.

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