Thermography. A noninvasive method for diagnosis of deep venous thrombosis.

Thermography is a simple, rapid, and noninvasive method for the diagnosis of deep venous thrombosis (DVT). A comparative study between thermography and conventional phlebography has been performed in 121 legs. The thermographic criteria for diagnosis of DVT are described; posterior views were found to be advantageous in interpretation. The diagnostic agreement between the two methods was 90.1%. The localization diagnosis was somewhat less correct. The thermographic method is a reliable alternative in the diagnosis of acute DVT.