Determining the acuteness and stability of deep venous thrombosis by ultrasonic tissue characterization

The intent of the study was to determine whether ultrasonic tissue characterization (UTC) could indicate acuteness and stability of deep venous thrombosis (DVT) of the lower extremities.

Thrombi presenting as filling defects on color Doppler imaging in the common or superficial femoral or popliteal veins in 50 extremities in 45 patients with DVT were studied. Acute DVT was less than 4 days duration, and chronic DVT was greater than 21 days duration. UTC analysis of parameters from the normalized power spectrum of backscattered ultrasound signals from venous filling defects was performed. This spectrum approaches a straight line, and its basic parameters, slope, and Y-intercept are related to scatterer size, concentration, and the square of the scatterer-to-medium acoustic impedances. Ten of the DVT extremities were reexamined at 1 week to assess UTC changes that would indicate thrombus instability.

Acute DVT (19 of the 50 extremities) could be distinguished from chronic DVT, mainly on the basis of significantly higher intercept values for the acute group, which were 11.6 relative decibels (dBr) higher than those of the chronic DVT group. Discriminant linear analysis of the two parameters indicated a sensitivity of 94.7% and specificity of 90.3% in correctly diagnosing acute DVT. In a small sample of 10 extremities reexamined at 1 week, acute DVT extremities showed a mean 9.4 dBr decrease in intercept values with no significant change in slope.

UTC distinguished clinically defined acute from chronic DVT. In a small series of extremities, UTC revealed significant instability of acute thrombi in a selected patient population.