Pulsatile lower limb venous Doppler flow: prevalence and value in cardiac disease diagnosis

The purpose of this study was to assess the frequency and significance of pulsatile Doppler waveforms in lower limb veins. We used Doppler sonographic data from the common femoral vein. In the first of two groups, the findings in 250 patients were correlated with the presence of cardiac decompensation on concurrent chest radiographs. In the second group, the findings in 81 patients were correlated with the presence of tricuspid regurgitation on Doppler echocardiograms. A venous Doppler sonographic examination was considered normal if spontaneous anterograde phasic flow was present and pulsatile if flow had a cyclic retrograde component. In group 1, 21% had pulsatile waveforms whereas 24% had cardiac decompensation. In group 2, 36% had pulsatile waveforms and 43% had tricuspid regurgitation. A statistically significant correlation was found between the presence of these abnormal waveforms and cardiac decompensation or tricuspid regurgitation, with sensitivities of 57% and 54%, specificities of 91% and 78%, positive predictive values of 66% and 66%, negative predictive values of 87% and 69%, and accuracies of 82% and 68%, respectively. In a subgroup of 55 patients who had both tests for correlation and in whom both were in agreement, the sensitivity of venous Doppler sonographic examination for detecting pathologic cardiac conditions was 79%, specificity was 87%, positive predictive value was 83%, negative predictive value was 84%, and accuracy was 84%. In 77 patients with pulsatile waveforms, including 24 without concurrent chest radiographs or echocardiograms, 63 (82%) had no prior history of cardiac disease. When correlated separately with chest radiograph or Doppler echocardiography, the test is not very sensitive in the diagnosis of cardiac disease; however, when both correlating tests are performed and are in agreement, all diagnostic parameters of the venous Doppler sonographic test, including sensitivity, become fairly high. The presence of pulsatile lower limb venous Doppler flow should alert the sonologist that a pathologic cardiac condition may be the culprit, especially in patients who have no such prior diagnosis.