Definition

Deep venous thrombosis is a condition in which a blood clot forms in a vein that is deep inside the body.

Causes

Deep venous thrombosis (DVT) mainly affects the large veins in the lower leg and thigh. The clot can block blood flow. If the clot breaks off and moves through the bloodstream, it can get stuck in the brain, lungs, heart, or other area, leading to severe damage.

Risks for DVT include:

• Immobility which causes blood flow in the veins to be slow. Slow flowing blood is more likely to clot than normal flowing blood.
  • A surgical operation which lasts more than 30 minutes is the most common cause of a DVT. The legs become still when you are under anaesthetic. Blood flow in the leg veins can become very slow.
  • Any illness or injury that causes immobility increases the risk of a DVT.
  • Long journeys by plane, train, etc are thought to cause a slightly increased risk of DVT. This is probably due to sitting cramped for long periods.
• Faulty blood clotting is an uncommon cause. One example is an inherited condition that causes the blood to clot more easily than normal (factor V leiden).
• The contraceptive pill and hormone replacement therapy (HRT) which contain oestrogen can cause the blood to clot slightly more easily. Women taking ‘the pill’ or ‘HRT’ have a small increased risk of DVT.
• Damage to the inside lining of the vein increases the risk of a blood clot forming. For example, a DVT may damage the lining of the vein. So, if you have already had a DVT, then you have a higher than average risk of having another one sometime in the future.
• Older people are more likely to have a DVT, particularly if you have poor mobility or have a serious illness such as cancer.
• Pregnancy increases the risk. About 1 in 1000 pregnant women have a DVT.
• Obesity also increases the risk of having a DVT.
• Bedrest
• Cigarette smoking
• Fractures
• Giving birth within the last 6 months

You’re also more likely to develop DVT if you have any of the following conditions:

• Blood that is more likely to clot (hypercoagulability)
• Cancer
• Overproduction of red blood cells in bone marrow (polycythemia vera) or related conditions

DVTs are most common in adults over age 60, but can occur at any age.

Symptoms

• Changes in skin color (redness) in one leg
• Increased warmth in one leg
• Leg pain in one leg
• Leg tenderness in one leg
• Swelling (edema) of one leg

This picture shows a red and swollen thigh and leg caused by a blood clot (thrombus) in the deep veins in the groin (iliofemoral veins) which prevents normal return of blood from the leg to the heart.

Exams and Tests

Your health care provider will perform a physical exam. The exam may show a red, swollen, or tender leg.

The following tests may be done:

• Doppler ultrasound exam of a limb

Discussion:
- allows assessment of DVT from the external iliac vein down to the poplieal veins;
- visualization distal to the popliteal viens is usually not possible;
- may be able to detect patency of major vessels, but it is not effective for smaller vessels;
- will not diagnose pelvic thrombi;
- note that clots seen on ultrasound comprise a spectrum from clots in the calf (usually not seen), to clots on the femoral valve cusps (non occlusive), to occlusive deep venous thrombosis which extends from the popliteal vessels to the proximal vessels (the latter is associated with higher risk of PE);
- note that the reliability of the ultrasound study is very user dependent (more experienced technicians will give a more accurate study);

How to do DVT U/S?

Patient positioning when assessing the femoral vein.

Patient positioning when assessing the popliteal vein.

Probe positioning for assessment of the femoral vein.

Ultrasonographic image of femoral vessels without compression.

Ultrasonographic image of femoral vessels with compression. ( If veins are not fully compressible —> DVT )

Probe positioning for assessment of the popliteal vein.

Ultrasonographic image of popliteal vessels with clot.

Normal anatomy of lower limb veins.

BASIC IMAGING

An ankle series should include the following minimum images;

• CFV: pre/post compression
• Proffunda femoris
• SFV proximal TS: pre/post compression
• SFV proximal LS: with colour doppler
• SFV distalTS: pre/post compression
• SFV distal LS: with colour doppler
• POPV TS: pre/post compression
• POPV LS: with colour doppler
• Posterior tibial veins LS colour doppler
• Peroneal veins LS colour doppler
• Sapheno-femoral-junction
• Document the normal anatomy. Any pathology found in 2 planes, including measurements and any vascularity.

diagnostic criteria for DVT:
- visualization of an intraluminal thrombus in a deep vein
- lack of compressibility of the venous lumen;
- filling of the lumen w/ echoes;
- diminished Doppler waveforms;
- lack of augmentation of venous flow w/ compression of calf muscles;
- lack of effect of respiration on the Doppler wave form;

LIMITATIONS

Obese patients, or those with severe oedema will limit the scan quality resulting in only being able to exclude occlusive thrombus Acoustic windows and detail may be limited in patients with open wounds/sutures.

Treatment

For years, the standard treatment has been a medication called heparin, which stops blood clots from forming. This type of medicine is called an anticoagulant (also known as a blood thinner).

If heparin is given continuously through a vein (IV), you must stay in the hospital. However, newer forms of heparin that can be given by injection once or twice a day can sometimes be used. You may not need to stay in the hospital as long, or at all, if you are prescribed this newer form of heparin.

The drug warfarin is usually prescribed along with heparin. Warfarin is taken by mouth and is usually used for long-term therapy. It takes several days to fully work. Heparin is continued until the warfarin has been fully effective for at least 24 hours. People usually take warfarin for a minimum of 3 months, but sometimes they must take it for the rest of their lives, depending on their risk for another clot.

You will need frequent lab tests to check the thickness of your blood when you first start taking warfarin. This lets your health care provider properly adjust your dose.

In rare cases, surgery may be needed if medicines do not work. Surgery may involve:

• Placement of a filter in the body’s largest vein to prevent blood clots from traveling to the lungs
• Removal of a large blood clot from the vein or injection of clot-busting medicines

Possible Complications

A blood clot that breaks free in the leg and travels to the lungs (pulmonary embolus) can be life threatening. Rapid treatment of DVT helps prevent this problem.

When to Contact a Medical Professional

Call your health care provider if you have symptoms of DVT.

Go to the emergency room or call the local emergency number (such as 911) if you have DVT and you develop chest pain, difficulty breathing, coughing blood, fainting, loss of consciousness, or other severe symptoms.

Prevention

Doctors may prescribe blood thinners to help prevent DVT in people at high risk, or those who are undergoing high-risk surgery.

Sometimes patients in the hospital wear special soft boots that automatically (and gently) squeeze the calves periodically. This is called intermittent pneumatic compression. It helps keep blood moving and prevents blood clotting.

Moving your legs often during long plane trips, car trips, and other situations in which you are sitting or lying down for long periods of time can also help prevent DVT.

In summary

• The main cause of DVT is immobility – especially during surgery.
• The most serious complication of DVT is a pulmonary embolus where part of the blood clot breaks off and travels to the lung.
• Persistent calf symptoms may occur after a DVT.
• With treatment, the risk of the above two complications is much reduced.
• Treatment includes anticoagulation, compression stockings, leg elevation, and keeping active.
• Prevention is important if you have an increased risk of DVT. For example, during long operations or when you travel on long journeys.

References :

1. http://www.wheelessonline.com/ortho/site_index
2. http://www.e-radiography.net/radpath/d/dvt.htm
3. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/imagepages/2549.htm
4. http://www.vascularweb.org/patients/NorthPoint/Deep_Vein_Thrombosis.html

pearls for diagnosis

1-• Be sure the veins fully compress.
2-Be sure to apply pressure evenly along the transducer face (perpendicular to skin surface). 3-Avoid pressing at an angle, as this may result in uneven compression and a false positive finding. 3-In patients who are obese, decreasing the transducer frequency to 3.5-5 MHz increases the depth of penetration and can assist the examiner. Overall image quality, however, is reduced.
4- If no vein is visible at the appropriate anatomic sight, the transducer may already be compressing the vein. Reduce the amount of pressure being applied and reexamine the area of interest.
5-Care must be taken to not over-interpret vessel echogenicity as clot. Both normal blood flow and vessel artifact can appear hyperechoic. Cysts, especially Baker cysts, are commonly encountered in the popliteal region.
6-These can be readily distinguished by their confluence with the joint space and their lack of flow on color flow Doppler ultrasonography.
7-Lymph nodes are particularly common in the femoral region and can be identified by their superficial location, their characteristic appearance (hyperechoic center with hypoechoic rim), and their high vascularity on color flow Doppler ultrasonography
8- Duplicate popliteal and femoral veins are not uncommon. Special attention must be paid to rule out a DVT in patients with a duplicate vessel because the potential decrease in flow velocity may increase the risk for clot development.
9- Utilizing the dual-image picture or split-screen option before and after compression may make comparison easier. In addition, the split-screen option may be useful in hospitals that use still images for documentation. If the examination site is wounded, the ultrasound transducer may be covered with a sterile probe cover with gel applied to both the inside and the outside of the cover.If an adequate examination cannot be obtained secondary to patient body habitus, patient compliance, or skill limitation, the patient requires a formal ultrasonographic study. In addition, if the study results are indeterminate, then a formal ultrasonographic study should be obtained.


http://www.google.com.eg/imgres?imgurl=http://img.medscape.com/pi/emed/ckb/clinical_procedures/79926-104340-1362989-1383583.jpg&imgrefurl=http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/1362989-treatment&usg=__ZZqorDtsU0B_SDuAwNfox0jcGUE=&h=306&w=311&sz=40&hl=ar&start=7&zoom=1&itbs=1&tbnid=OvfkZRH5cvC8mM:&tbnh=115&tbnw=117&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dposterior%2Btibial%2Bvein%2Bthrombosis%26hl%3Dar%26sa%3DG%26gbv%3D2%26tbs%3Disch:1

-Position the patient as noted above for examination of the femoral vessels. The study begins with an examination of the common femoral vein just distal to the inguinal ligament. The femoral vessels are located just inferior to the inguinal ligament and approximately midway between the pubic symphysis and the anterior superior iliac spine. The femoral artery is usually palpable. This is the initial point of examination.
-Apply gel to the transducer, the patient’s leg, or both, and position the transducer transversely, just distal to the inguinal ligament, as shown below. Remember, the indicator on the probe should point toward the patient’s right. In this transverse view, the vein is imaged in cross-section.

Probe positioning for assessment of the femoral vein.
-Drag or fan the transducer in a cephalad or caudad direction until the junction of the common femoral vein and the greater saphenous vein can be visualized, as shown below. The common femoral artery is lateral to the common femoral vein.

Ultrasonographic image of femoral vessels without compression.

-Using the transducer, apply direct pressure to completely compress the vein.

-If the vein compresses completely, then a DVT at this site can be ruled out.

-Be sure that enough pressure is being applied and being applied evenly. Apply enough pressure so that slight deformation of the artery is noticeable.

-If the vein is still not completely compressible, a DVT is present. See the image below.

Ultrasonographic image of femoral vessels with compression.

-Complete compression of the vein rules out a DVT, while the inability to completely compress the vein rules in a DVT. Thus, compressibility is the rule in/rule out criterion for DVT on ultrasound. (See Results below for more details.)

-Compressibility must be present in both the femoral veins and the popliteal vein. Sometimes, the angle of the transducer may need to be adjusted in order to completely compress the vein. The greater saphenous vein is a superficial vein. A clot in the greater saphenous vein near its junction with the common femoral vein, however, can easily propagate.

-The examination of the common femoral vein should extend from 2 cm proximal to 2 cm distal to the intersection of the common femoral and greater saphenous veins.

-Distal to the greater saphenous vein, the common femoral vein splits into the deep and superficial femoral veins. Despite its name, the superficial femoral vein is indeed a deep vein. Once collapse of both the deep and superficial femoral veins is confirmed, the examination may move on to the popliteal vein.

http://www.google.com.eg/imgres?imgurl=http://img.medscape.com/pi/emed/ckb/clinical_procedures/79926-104340-1362989-1383583.jpg&imgrefurl=http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/1362989-treatment&usg=__ZZqorDtsU0B_SDuAwNfox0jcGUE=&h=306&w=311&sz=40&hl=ar&start=7&zoom=1&itbs=1&tbnid=OvfkZRH5cvC8mM:&tbnh=115&tbnw=117&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dposterior%2Btibial%2Bvein%2Bthrombosis%26hl%3Dar%26sa%3DG%26gbv%3D2%26tbs%3Disch:1

Posterior tibial vein
-This longitudinal view reveals that more than half of the venous lumen is occluded by thrombus (black area). Areas of blood flow within the vein appear red. This imaging technique renders a thrombus as black, while areas of blood flow are colorised.


http://www.thrombosisadviser.com/scripts/pages/en/resources/image-library/index.php

Deep vein thrombosis: scintigraphic diagnosis with In-111-labeled monoclonal antifibrin antibodies.

1-Fifty-two patients suspected of having deep vein thrombosis under-went scintigraphy with an indium-111-labeled monoclonal antifibrin antibody.
2- Venography disclosed deep vein thrombosis in 31 patients.
3-With the whole limb considered an anatomic entity, antifibrin antibody scintigrams obtained 2 hours after injection had a specificity and sensitivity of 81% and 84%, respectively.
4-A higher sensitivity (92%) was found for a subgroup of patients (n = 44) with symptoms for less than 10 days.
5-Regional sensitivities for all patients and for the subgroup, respectively, were 92% and 100% in the calf, 82% and 94% in the popliteal region, 63% and 71% in the thigh, and only 18% and 13% in the pelvis. Additional imaging performed 6 hours and 21 hours after injection in 12 patients and quantitative analysis done from scintigrams with and without blood-pool (technetium-99m human serum albumin) correction did not improve sensitivity. In-111-antifibrin antibody scintigraphy is an accurate method for diagnosis of acute established deep vein thrombosis of the calf and popliteal region; its sensitivity in the thigh is lower, and it is not feasible for diagnosis in the pelvic area.


http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2678259

Antifibrin scintigraphy in the diagnostic evaluation of acute deep venous thrombosis

1-Antifibrin scintigraphy is a new and innovative approach to the diagnosis of acute deep venous thrombosis (DVT).
2-Many antifibrin monoclonal antibodies (Mo-Abs) have been described, but only two, 59D8 and T2G1s, have undergone broad preclinical or clinical investigation. Both of these MoAbs recognize an epitope on the amino terminal end of fibrin. The epitope for 59D8 and T2G1s is available for binding only on newly formed, acute thrombi.
3-Preclinical studies have confirmed the specificity of these MoAbs for acute DVT, and have demonstrated their ability to image experimentally induced DVT.
4- Preliminary clinical studies in patients with signs or symptoms of DVT have evaluated indium-111 59D8 Fab and technetium-99m T2G1s Fab'. Fragments of the intact MoAbs are employed to promote faster blood clearance and to reduce immunogenicity.
5-The initial clinical studies indicate that antifibrin scintigraphy has a diagnostic accuracy approaching 90%.
6-Antifibrin scintigraphy has the potential for overcoming many of the deficiencies of both invasive (contrast venography) and noninvasive (Doppler/ultrasound, impedance plethysmography) methods for detecting DVT. With a single procedure, it provides an accurate and rapid evaluation of both lower extremities, both above and below the knee. Because of its unique specificity for acute DVT, it should have excellent potential for use in patients with suspected acute, recurrent DVT, a condition difficult to diagnose by all currently employed tests for DVT.


http://www.seminarsinnuclearmedicine.com/article/S0001-2998(05)80134-5/abstract