[Role of D-dimer in diagnosis of venous thrombosis and embolism].

AIM

To analyze efficiency of semi-quantitative fast D-dimer test in diagnosis of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and thromboembolism of pulmonary artery (TPA).

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The study enrolled 42 patients (26 males and 16 females) aged 25 to 86 years. 30 and 12 of them were suspected to have DVT and TPA, respectively. DVT was verified at ultrasound dopplerography and radionuclide phlebography in 16 of 30 suspects. TPA was verified by x-ray, perfusion scintigraphy of the lungs and at autopsy (one case) in 7 of 12 suspects. D-dimer levels in the blood were measured by latex parts agglutination reaction. The parts were covered with monoclonal antibodies to D-dimer. The reagents were provided by the kit Roche/Diagnostica Stago.

RESULTS

The D-dimer test was positive in 20 of 23 DVT patients and negative in 3 cases (13%). Of 19 patients with rejected diagnosis of DVT/TPA the test was negative in 17(89.4%) and positive in 2 patients (10.6%). Thus, sensitivity and specificity of the D-dimer test was 87% and 89.4%, respectively.

CONCLUSION

High sensitivity of the test allows to use it in screening for DVT/TPA. Negative D-dimer test rejects DVT, while positive test needs verification by other methods.