The Phlebographic Distribution of Deep Venous Thrombosis in the Calf and its Relevance to Duplex Ultrasound

Abstract

Objective:

To assess the distribution of deep vein thrombosis in the calf by phlebography.

Setting:

Department of Vascular Radiology, St. Thomas' Hospital, London, England.

Patients:

Seventy patients with suspected deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism were examined.

Interventions:

Bilateral ascending contrast phlebography was performed in all patients.

Main Outcome Measures:

The sites of any thrombus in the stem or muscle veins of the calf below the popliteal vein were recorded.

Results:

One hundred legs contained thrombus. In fifty-three legs thrombus was present solely in the calf veins below the popliteal vein. Isolated thrombus in either one or more of the three paired stem veins or the muscle veins was present in twenty-two calves.

Conclusions:

Because of the difficulty in visualising some calf veins by duplex ultrasound it is suggested that a detailed knowledge of the distribution of thrombus may assist ultrasonographers.