Incremental lower extremity CT venography, a simplified approach for the diagnosis of deep venous thrombosis in patients with pulmonary embolism

Purpose. To demonstrate that incremental CT venography, performed at the time of CT pulmonary angiography, can easily diagnose deep venous thrombosis. Materials and Methods. Retrospective analysis of 152 combined incremental CT venography and CT pulmonary angiography. Results were compared to Doppler US examinations in 18 cases. Results. 61% of venous thrombosis was found on incremental CT examination in case of pulmonary embolism. In 5 cases, isolated venous thrombosis was found without pulmonary embolism. The CT diagnosis of DVT was confirmed by US; CT appeared more accurate than US in the calf. Conclusion. CT venography combined with CT pulmonary angiography is a useful tool in order to obtain a comprehensive evaluation for thrombo-embolic disease.