title: Perioperative d-dimer levels in patients with musculoskeletal tumors.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  D-dimer (DD) levels have been reported as a sensitive but non-specific indicator for deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE). Few reports have examined perioperative DD levels in musculoskeletal tumor.
  
  
  METHODS
  Subjects comprised 77 patients who had undergone oncological resection of musculoskeletal tumor. DD levels were assessed preoperatively and on postoperative days 1 and 7. Multidetector-row computed tomography (MD-CT) was performed to detect DVT/PE for cases with DD level >10.0 microg/ml.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean preoperative DD level was 0.84 microg/ml. Significant elevation of postoperative DD levels was confirmed. DD levels were significantly changed by various clinical conditions, such as malignancy, age and prosthetic reconstruction. In 4 of 5 cases with postoperative DD levels >10.0 microg/ml, DVT/PE was detected.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Activation of the coagulation system by surgery and heterogeneity of DD levels under various clinical conditions in musculoskeletal tumor patients were suggested.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Kyorin University School of Medicine, 6-20-2 Shinkawa Mitaka, Tokyo 181-8611, Japan.
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Morii
authors.forename: Kazuo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mochizuki
authors.forename: Masazumi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kotera
authors.forename: Naoaki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Imakiire
authors.forename: Takahiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Moriwaki
authors.forename: Kazuhiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Satomi