Thermographic diagnosis of deep venous thrombosis: anatomically based diagnostic criteria.

Deep venous thrombosis is associated with increased heat emission from involved muscle groups and deviation of blood flow from the deep to the superficial venous system. Both of these features can be documented by thermography. An appreciation of the muscular and venous anatomy of the lower limb allows recognition of predictable thermographic images reflecting involvement of various muscle groups in the leg. It is expected that these anatomically based criteria will improve the diagnostic accuracy of thermography and offer a noninvasive, easily repeatable modality of examination for the diagnosis of deep venous thrombosis.