title: Current challenges in diagnostic imaging of venous thromboembolism.
abstract: Because the clinical diagnosis of deep-vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism is nonspecific, integrated diagnostic approaches for patients with suspected venous thromboembolism have been developed over the years, involving both non-invasive bedside tools (clinical decision rules and D-dimer blood tests) for patients with low pretest probability and diagnostic techniques (compression ultrasound for deep-vein thrombosis and computed tomography pulmonary angiography for pulmonary embolism) for those with a high pretest probability. This combination has led to standardized diagnostic algorithms with proven safety for excluding venous thrombotic disease. At the same time, it has become apparent that, as a result of the natural history of venous thrombosis, there are special patient populations in which the current standard diagnostic algorithms are not sufficient. In this review, we present 3 evidence-based patient cases to underline recent developments in the imaging diagnosis of venous thromboembolism.
authors.affiliation: Department of Thrombosis and Hemostasis, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Menno V
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Huisman
authors.affiliation: Department of Thrombosis and Hemostasis, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Frederikus A
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9961-0754
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Klok
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D000792:Angiography / Q000379:methods; D005338:Fibrin Fibrinogen Degradation Products / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D014463:Ultrasonography; D054556:Venous Thromboembolism / Q000097:blood / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*
chemical_list: D005338:Fibrin Fibrinogen Degradation Products; C036309:fibrin fragment D