Integrated diagnostic approach to suspected deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism

Diagnosing deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism has become definitely easier and more reliable over the past fifteen years, especially thanks the development of lower limbs venous compression ultrasonography and fibrin D-Dimer measurement. These tests allowed reducing the requirement for venography and pulmonary angiography to a small minority of patients. Simultaneously, ventilation/perfusion lung scan criteria have been standardized, and the performance of spiral computed tomography has been analyzed in an appropriate way. New sequential, mainly noninvasive strategies could be developed that proved to be safe in large-scale prospective cohort studies with prolonged follow-up. They should now be implemented in daily practice according to cost-effectiveness analyses as well as local facilities and expertise.