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Updated: Jul 14, 2026

Point-Of-Care Ultrasound Screening for Proximal Lower Extremity Deep Venous Thrombosis
Published on: February 10, 2023
Upper extremity venous Doppler ultrasound
Therese M Weber1, Mark E Lockhart, Michelle L Robbin
1Department of Radiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 619 19th Street, South, JT N312, Birmingham, AL 35249-6830, USA. tweber@uabmc.edu
Ultrasound is the preferred initial imaging method for the upper extremity venous system. For unclear results, especially with central deep veins, MR venography or catheter venography can provide helpful correlation.
Area of Science:
- Radiology
- Vascular Imaging
- Medical Ultrasound
Background:
- Ultrasound is the primary imaging modality for the upper extremity venous system.
- Challenges arise in evaluating central deep veins when sonographic findings are equivocal or nondiagnostic.
Purpose of the Study:
- To highlight the role of ultrasound in upper extremity venous evaluation.
- To discuss adjunctive imaging modalities when ultrasound is inconclusive.
Main Methods:
- Review of ultrasound's utility in venous system assessment.
- Discussion of magnetic resonance (MR) venography and catheter venography as supplementary tools.
Main Results:
- Ultrasound is accurate, rapid, low-cost, portable, and noninvasive.
- MR venography and catheter venography offer valuable correlation for equivocal ultrasound findings, particularly in central deep veins.
Conclusions:
- Ultrasound is an effective initial tool for screening, mapping, and surveillance of upper extremity veins.
- Advanced imaging techniques like MR venography and catheter venography are important for complex cases.
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