Deep venous thrombosis of the legs after strokes: Part 2-Natural history.

Seven out of 76 patients who had sustained a cerebrovascular accident suffered a pulmonary embolism as diagnosed at necropsy or by unequivocal antemortem criteria. A further five patients had probable embolisation diagnosed only by clinical and chest x-ray criteria. Eleven of these 12 patients had DVT as diagnosed by the 125I-fibrinogen technique. Though 125I-fibrinogen technique has its limitations, thrombosis seemed to be able to develop at several independent sites in the venous system of the leg.