Why the study?
It remains controversial whether to include calf veins in the initial ultrasound evaluation of suspected deep venous thrombosis.
Population
596 patients evaluated with complete duplex ultrasound for suspected acute DVT
Comparison
Isolated calf DVT vs more proximal DVT
Design
Retrospective cohort study
Key result
Isolated calf DVT accounted for 47.1% of all deep venous thrombosis cases diagnosed by complete duplex ultrasound, indicating that limited ultrasound would miss nearly half of DVT cases.
Authors
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Isolated calf DVT may be underdetected by limited scans; leaves open whether routine calf imaging improves outcomes.
Cohort (n=596)
No
Isolated calf DVT accounts for nearly half of all DVT cases, supporting the routine inclusion of calf veins in the initial duplex ultrasound evaluation of suspected DVT.
Heller et al. (2020) conducted a cohort in Suspected acute deep venous thrombosis (DVT) (n=596). Complete duplex ultrasound vs. Limited range ultrasound (implied) was evaluated on Prevalence of isolated calf DVT among patients with confirmed DVT. Isolated calf DVT accounted for 47.1% of all deep venous thrombosis cases diagnosed by complete duplex ultrasound, indicating that limited ultrasound would miss nearly half of DVT cases.