Diagnosis of deep venous thrombosis of the lower limbs: it is premature to introduce ultrasound as a routine method.

Ultrasound is sometimes employed as an alternative technique to phlebography in the diagnosis of deep venous thromboses (DVT). To evaluate the efficacy of ultrasound, 74 patients suspected of DVT in the lower limbs were examined with both ultrasound and phlebography. The results indicate that positive reports following ultrasound examination are reliable but that negative reports are not very dependable. The authors urge, therefore, a degree of caution before ultrasound is introduced as a routine method in hospital care.