Dynamic half-Fourier single-shot turbo spin echo for assessment of deep venous thrombosis: initial observations.
OBJECTIVE
The objective of this study was to retrospectively analyze the value of dynamic half-Fourier single-shot turbo spin echo (HASTE) imaging in patients with suspected deep venous thrombosis (DVT).


METHODS
Fifty-five veins in 24 patients were interrogated using a HASTE sequence with the patients relaxed and in various degrees of Valsalva. Veins were analyzed for changes in caliber (+CAL) and signal intensity (+SI) or in their absence (-CAL and -SI, respectively) and compared with the presence of thrombus on gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging.


RESULTS
There was no thrombus in veins with the +CAL, +SI pattern (n=40) (P<.01). Five of seven veins (71.4%) with the -CAL, -SI pattern had thrombus (P<.01). A qualitative change in CAL had a sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 91% for the presence of thrombus. An increase of 1.5 mm in CAL had a sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 93% for this diagnosis.


CONCLUSIONS
Dynamic HASTE imaging offers a physiological method to evaluate veins for deep venous thrombosis.
Pedrosa
Ivan
I
Department of Radiology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA 02215, USA. ipedrosa@bidmc.harvard.edu
Ngo
Long
L
Wei
Jesse
J
Schuster
Michael
M
Mahallati
Houman
H
Smith
Martin
M
Rofsky
Neil M
NM
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017352:Echo-Planar Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013113:Spin Labels; D020246:Venous Thrombosis / Q000175:diagnosis*
D013113:Spin Labels