The Use of Thermography in Diagnosis of Deep Venous Thrombosis (DVT): A Comparison with Phlebography

Abstract

None of the existing diagnostic methods for detection of DVT is ideal and thus the search for new methods is necessary. When clinical criteria were used the increased skin temperature was one of many signs, a result of the inflammatory reaction around the thrombus. With thermography it is possible to detect temperature differences of 0.2° C and there is a recent report suggesting that thermovision can be used to detect DVT (Cooke & Pilcher, Brit. J. Surg. 67, 971, 1974). Our study was made to test which thermographic signs were seen in patients with phlebographically diagnosed DVT. The patients were studied with AGA 680 medical thermographic system and the front of the calf and thigh and the back of the calf were studied. Normally there were big areas of tibial and patellar coolness and a mottled thigh appearance. Patients with DVT according to phlebography showed and increased temperature compared to the normal leg, a diminished or absent tibial and/or patellar coolness and sometimes a hot streak corresponding to the thrombus. 24 patients have hitherto been studied (unilateral phlebography). In 22 cases there is full agreement between the methods and in 2 cases the agreement is less clear. As the method is simple and the agreement good the study continues to obtain a larger clinical material.