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Tests and diagnosis
By Mayo Clinic staffTo diagnose deep vein thrombosis, your doctor will ask you a series of questions about your symptoms. You'll also have a physical exam so that your doctor can check for any areas of swelling, tenderness or discoloration on your skin. Depending on how likely you are to have a blood clot, your doctor may suggest further testing, including:
- Ultrasound. A wand-like device (transducer) placed over the part of your body where there's a clot sends sound waves into the area. As the sound waves travel through your tissue and reflect back, a computer transforms the waves into a moving image on a video screen. A clot may be visible in the image. Sometimes a series of ultrasounds are done over several days to determine whether a blood clot is growing or to be sure a new one hasn't developed.
- Blood test. Almost all people who develop severe deep vein thrombosis have an elevated blood level of a clot-dissolving substance called D dimer. The test for increased D dimer in your blood is most useful for ruling out deep vein thrombosis or for identifying people at risk of recurrence.
- Venography. A dye (contrast agent) is injected into a large vein in your foot or ankle. An X-ray procedure creates an image of the veins in your legs and feet, to look for clots. This test is used less frequently because less invasive methods can usually confirm the diagnosis.
- CT or MRI scans. Both computerized tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can provide visual images of your veins and may show if you have a clot. Sometimes a clot is found when these scans are performed for other reasons.
References
- Deep vein thrombosis. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/Dvt/DVT_All.html. Accessed May 29, 2011.
- Goldhaber SZ. Deep venous thrombosis and pulmonary embolism. In: Fauci AS, et al. Harrison's Online. 17th ed. New York, N.Y.: The McGraw-Hill Companies. 2008. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=2880540&searchStr=deep+vein+thrombosis#2880540. Accessed May 28, 2011.
- Deep vein thrombosis (DVT). Society for Vascular Surgery. https://www.vascularweb.org/vascularhealth/Pages/deep-vein-thrombosis-(-dvt-)-.aspx?PF=1. Accessed May 28, 2011.
- Focus on blood clots. Vascular Disease Foundation. http://www.vdf.org/pdfs/VDF_FocusOnBloodClots.pdf. Accessed May 29, 2011.
- O'Connor MB, et al. Inflammatory bowel disease, such as ulcerative colitis, is a risk factor for recurrent thromboembolic events: A case report. Cases Journal. 2009;2:173.
- Being tall, obese may significantly increase risk of blood clots in deep veins. American Heart Association. http://www.newsroom.heart.org/index.php?s=43&item=1321. Accessed May 29, 2011.
- Alguire PC, et al. Post-thrombotic (postphlebitic) syndrome. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed May 27, 2011.
- Lip GY, et al. Treatment of lower extremity deep vein thrombosis. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed May 27, 2011.
- FDA expands use of Xarelto to treat, reduce recurrence of blood clots. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm326654.htm?source=govdelivery. Accessed Jan. 2, 2013.
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