[Echographic diagnosis for deep vein thrombosis of the lower extremities]

Echographic examination of the femoral vein was carried out in two positions: first in supine position and then in standing position, in order to make a diagnosis of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) of the lower extremities. The distance between the wall images of the femoral vein was measured on the line passing through the center of the femoral artery and crossing the common tangent line of the femoral artery and vein at right angle, and the ratio of this distance in supine position to that in standing position was named FEMORAL VEIN DISTENSIBILITY INDEX (FVDI). The FVDI was 2.83 +/- 0.83 in control group consisting of 14 healthy subjects, and 1.26 +/- 0.18 in DVT group consisting of 21 patients with 23 legs. There was a statistically significant difference between the two groups (p less than 0.001). No statistical difference of the FVDI was, however, noted between the control group and the diseased group consisting of 19 contralateral, symptom-free legs. And no relation was confirmed between FVDI and venographical findings, namely site and extension of thrombotic occlusion. By introducing the FVDI, which reflects functional hemodynamics of the femoral vein, the echographic diagnosis for DVT has become easier and more accurate, presenting a diagnostic accuracy of 90.6% in this study.