The diagnosis of deep venous thrombosis. Fallibility of clinical symptoms and signs.

One hundred twenty-four patients, with 133 involved extremities having the clinical diagnosis of deep venous thrombosis of the lower extremity, were studied by phleborheography and phlebography. Seventy-two limbs were proved to have deep venous thrombosis and 61 to have no evidence of thrombi in the deep veins. Classic symptoms of muscle pain and muscle tenderness, swelling, and the presence of a positive Homans sign obtained by dorsiflexion of the foot were found to occur with approximately equal frequency in those limbs with and without deep venous thrombosis.