Phlebographic Analysis of the Incidence of Thrombosis in Hemiplegia

A phlebographic survey of 150 patients with chronic hemiplegia entering a hospital for rehabilitation revealed a 33% incidence of acute phlebothrombosis in the hemiplegic leg, almost a third of which was clinically undiagnosable at the bedside. The veins of the nonhemiplegic leg remained relatively free of disease. Leg edema and calf muscle tenderness were not reliable signs of thrombosis. The incidence of pulmonary embolism was low at 2.8%, probably because of prompt anticoagulation. Prior to rehabilitation of stroke patients, bilateral phlebography is recommended as a means of detecting “silent” phlebothrombosis.