[Ultrasound diagnosis in post-thrombotic syndrome. Comparative study with color duplex, cw-Doppler and B-image ultrasound].

UNLABELLED: Comparison of colour-coded Doppler sonography, CW-Doppler and real time sonography in the diagnostics of the postthrombotic syndrome.

METHOD: Colour-coded Doppler sonography, CW-Doppler and real time sonography were studied in 40 legs with postthrombotic syndrome, confirmed by phlebography. In a further step deep veins of patients with primary varicosis (n = 40) and a group of normal veins (n = 40) where compared with the postthrombotic group (n = 40).

RESULTS

The sensitivity of CW-Doppler was 71.2% and that of real time sonography 67.5%, their specificity 92.3% and 92.2%, respectively, while colour-coded Doppler sonography had a sensitivity of 90.9% and a specificity of 88.9%. In addition, colour-coded Doppler sonography in combination with measurement of the peak velocity of venous reflux in deep veins had the highest sensitivity with 92.8% and specificity with 95.4% of all ultrasound methods tested. By means of colour-coded Doppler sonography together with measurement of the peak velocity of venous reflux, healthy persons and patients with varicosis could be distinguished with high significance (p < 0.003) by a peak velocity of venous reflux of more than 10 cm/s.

CONCLUSION

In comparison to real time sonography and CW-Doppler, quantitative analysis of reflux in the deep veins by means of colour-coded Doppler sonography is the most valid ultrasound method in the diagnosis of postthrombotic syndrome.