Is DVT excluded by normal thermal imaging?-an outcome study of 700 cases

Abstract

Untreated deep vein thrombosis (DVT) has a significant morbidity and mortality as it cause cause pulmonary embolism (PE). This risk is substantially eliminated by effective anticoagulation, which prevents further thrombus formation in the leg veins, allowing gradual natural absorption of the existing blood clot, but this treatment has risks of its own and is not indicated without a definite diagnosis. Clinical diagnosis is extremely misleading, so accurate clinical tests are required to rule out or rule in clinically suspected DVT. There are risks and disadvantages to the most commonly utilised conventional tests for DVT, over one-third of which examinations can be avoided by performing thermal imaging as the initial investigation, which excludes DVT when normal. This outcome study followed up patients with clinically suspected DVT who were not further investigated or treated following normal thermal imaging, and showed that no patients developed PE following normal thermography with no further investigation for DVT and withholding of anticoagulant therapy.