title: Triplex US in the diagnosis of asymptomatic deep venous thrombosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the accuracy of triplex ultrasound (TUS) compared with venography as a screening test for deep venous thrombosis (DVT), and to evaluate interobserver variation in the interpretation of the venographic studies.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 133 postoperative hip fracture patients, asymptomatic of DVT, were prospectively examined with TUS and venography. All venograms were reviewed blindly and in case of disagreement a consensus was arrived at.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The incidence of DVT was 20%, with isolated calf vein thrombi in 63% of the cases. There were 7 false-negative and one false-positive result/s at TUS, with a sensitivity of 74%, specificity of 99% and accuracy of 97%. The kappa values ranged from 0.58 to 0.82. The false-negative results were all caused by missed calf vein thrombi in technically inadequate examinations. At sonography 2% of vein segments were noninterpretable, compared to 29% at venography.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Venous US is less sensitive as a test for DVT in this study of asymptomatic patients than in earlier studies on symptomatic patients. Still, sonographic screening of high-risk patients would be both effective and cost effective. Fresh thrombi may cause a false-negative compression test.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology/Ultrasound, Gentofte Hospital, Hellerup, Denmark.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mantoni
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Strandberg
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Neergaard
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sloth
authors.forename: P S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Jørgensen
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Thamsen
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tørholm
authors.forename: B P
authors.initials: BP
authors.lastname: Paaske
authors.forename: S W
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Rasmussen
authors.forename: S W
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Christensen
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Wille-Jørgensen
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015588:Observer Variation; D010690:Phlebography; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D013924:Thrombophlebitis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D014463:Ultrasonography