Utility of leg ultrasonography in suspected symptomatic isolated calf deep venous thrombosis.

PURPOSE

To evaluate the utility of duplex ultrasonography in patients with suspected symptomatic, isolated calf deep venous thrombosis.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Thirty patients with clinically suspected isolated calf deep venous thrombosis were examined with both duplex ultrasonography and contrast venography and the results were compared.

RESULTS

Venography detected 7 cases of isolated calf deep venous thrombosis, all of which were also detected by ultrasonography. Ultrasound identified an additional 3 cases of soleal vein thrombosis, but venography did not visualize these veins. Of the 20 negative ultrasound studies, 11 were technically inadequate; however, no false-negative ultrasound studies were noted.

CONCLUSIONS

Compression ultrasonography may be reliable for the evaluation of patients with suspected symptomatic infrapopliteal deep venous thrombosis. Its apparent superiority to contrast venography in visualizing muscular calf veins warrants further study; however, the high rate of technical inadequacy in ultrasound studies observed here, if confirmed in larger studies, may limit the usefulness of ultrasound in this setting.