[The radiofibrinogen test in differential diagnosis of fresh deep venous thrombosis]

The radio-fibrinogen test is a simple and sensitive method for diagnosing deep vein thrombosis. Intravenously administered radioactive labelled fibrinogen is incorporated as radioactive fibrin in freshly developing thrombi, and such labelled thrombi may be detected on the body surface with nuclear medical equipment. Homologous iodine 125 labelled fibrinogen is chiefly used since it is known not to transmit viral hepatitis. The weak gamma emittor 125-I allows the use of a portable scintillation detector rate meter with an easily moved measuring device. This bedside method does not involve discomfort for the patient. The correlation between ascending phlebography and the radioactive fibrinogen test is more than 90 percent. The radiofibrinogen test may be used to study thromboembolic diseases, to evaluate drugs for prevention of thromboembolic complications and to confirm clinically suspected fresh deep vein thrombi. Details of the method as used in several thousand measurements are given.