Deep vein thrombosis: a 7-year follow-up study.
OBJECTIVE
To study the sequelae of deep venous thrombosis (DVT) in terms of symptoms and objective signs of deep venous insufficiency (DVI) and their relationship to the initial extension of DVT, and to assess the control legs in the same way.


METHODS
Follow-up study after an average of 89 (range 79-102) months.


METHODS
Out-patient clinic, University Hospital, Oslo.


METHODS
Seventy-six patients with DVT 7 years previously. At follow-up 41 patients were dead and 10 were not available for restudy, thus twenty-five patients were studied in all.


METHODS
Symptom rating. Objective verification of DVI by invasive pressure recordings (DVI-I) and by the Doppler ultrasound technique (DVI-D).


RESULTS
At follow-up, 42% of the patients had symptoms, half of these severe, while 68% had DVI. Eighty-two per cent of symptomatic patients and 60% of the asymptomatic patients had DVI. There were no more symptoms in proximal than in distal DVT, but slightly more DVI. Control legs had neither symptoms nor DVI.


CONCLUSIONS
Seven years after DVT few patients had severe symptoms, although objective signs of DVI were common. Symptoms were no more frequent after proximal than after distal DVT. We found no symptoms or DVI in control legs.
Heldal
M
M
Department of Medicine, Aker University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
Seem
E
E
Sandset
P M
PM
Abildgaard
U
U
D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications; D012008:Recurrence; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013924:Thrombophlebitis / Q000150:complications*; D014689:Venous Insufficiency / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology