Journal of the American Podiatric Medical Association, Vol 87, Issue 5 224-232, Copyright © 1997 by American Podiatric Medical Association

JOURNAL ARTICLE

Deep venous thrombosis. The dilemma of diagnosis

P Servatjoo
Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA, USA.

Despite advanced medical technology, deep venous thrombosis continues to be a seriously underdiagnosed common postsurgical complication of the patient, particularly of lower extremity procedures, often requiring postoperative bed rest as in any routine podiatric surgery. Deep venous thrombosis and its complication, pulmonary embolism, are elusive clinical conditions since patients often tend to exhibit neither specific nor reliable signs or symptoms. However, the suspicion of the surgeon, generally based on subtle clinical manifestations, is the most important step in the diagnosis. Diagnosis will never be made unless he or she entertains the possibility. Since prevention of the potentially fatal outcome of pulmonary emboli secondary to deep venous thrombosis and possibly the serious morbidity caused by long-term sequelae in the lower extremity is now possible, the importance of an early, adequate diagnosis is indisputable. Diagnosis on clinical grounds alone is notoriously unreliable and objective tests are necessary to avoid overtreatment or undertreatment.