Evaluation of peripheral venous disease.
DCI is an excellent method for evaluation of the venous system and has several distinct advantages over other methods. One of the major benefits of DCI, particularly with the addition of capabilities to image slow-flow characteristics of veins, is the ease and rapidity of evaluating the lower extremity veins, including not only the femoral and popliteal system but also the major calf veins. The identification of nonoccluding intraluminal thrombus is enhanced by the additional contrast provided by color-flow imaging. In a similar fashion, flow imaging by scanning through the urine-filled bladder permits excellent visualization of the external iliac veins, and in thin patients the common iliac veins and distal inferior vena cava can be assessed. Thus, DCI permits a more rapid examination with increased diagnostic confidence; it may also permit a more accurate examination. The noninvasive and complication-free nature of the examination recommends it strongly as the primary test, particularly in patients with contraindications to contrast evaluation.
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D001132:Arm / Q000098:blood supply; D003116:Color; D006801:Humans; D007866:Leg / Q000098:blood supply; D016491:Peripheral Vascular Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013924:Thrombophlebitis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D014465:Ultrasonics; D014463:Ultrasonography / Q000379:methods*