Contact Thermography, ^99mTc-Plasmin Scintimetry and ^99mTc-Plasmin Scintigraphy as Screening Methods for Deep Venous Thrombosis Following Major Hip Surgery

Summary

Fifty-six patients scheduled for total hip alloplasty were screened for deep venous thrombosis by means of ^99mTc-plasmin scintimetry, ^99mTc-plasmin scintigraphy and contact thermography. Investigations were performed on the seventh postoperative day, and a total of 112 legs were examined. Bilateral ascending phlebography was used as reference procedure, and the criteria for deep venous thrombosis were intraluminal filling defects at phlebography. Six patients developed unilateral deep venous thrombosis. All three screening procedures revealed many false positive and several false negative results. The nosographic sensitivity/specificity was 33%/75% for scintimetry, 50%/91% for scintigraphy and 33%/87% for contact thermography, respectively. It is concluded that all three tests are of no value as screening methods for deep venous thrombosis following major elective hip surgery.

Keywords

^99mTc-plasmin scintimetry - ^99mTc-plasmin scintigraphy - Contact thermography - Deep venous thrombosis - Hip surgery

• References

• 1 Nilus SA. On thromboembolism after total hip replacement. Thesis. Malmo: 1983
• 2 Bergquist D. Postoperative thromboembolism. p. 18 Springer Verlag, Berlin, Heidelberg; New York: 1983
• 3 Gram J, Jespersen J. On the diagnosis of deep venous thrombosis in patients at risk. Dan Med Bull 1984; 31: 149-153
• 4 Olsson CG, Albrechtsson U, Darte L, Persson R BR. ^99mTc-plasmin for rapid detection of deep venous thrombosis. Nucl Med Commun 1982; 5: 41-52
• 5 Overgaard K. Thromboscintigraphy with 99nTc-plasminn, a new diagnostic method in deep venous thrombosis of the legs. Nucl Med Commun 1984; 5: 101-107
• 6 Pochaczevsky R, Piliari G, Feldman F. Liquid Crystal Contact Thermography of deep venous thrombosis. Amer J Roentgenol 1982; 138: 717-723
• 7 Cooke ED, Pilcher MF. Thermography in diagnosis of deep venous thrombosis. Br Med J 1973; 34: 523-526
• 8 Browse NL. Diagnosis of deep venous thrombosis. Br Med Bull 1978; 34: 163-167
• 9 Buller HR, Ockelford PA, Hull RD. Strategies to diagnosis and screening of deep venous thrombosis and pulmonary embolism. The Netherlands journal of surgery 1983; 34: 121-128
• 10 Bergquist D. Postoperative thromboembolism. Frekvens, etiologi, profylax. KabiVitrum; Stockholm: 1981
• 11 Loudon JR, McGarritz G, Vallance R, Bayliss AL, Graham J. The fibrinogen uptake test after hip surgery. Br J Surg 1978; 65: 616-618
• 12 Harris WH, Salzmann E, Athanasoulis C, Waltmann A, Baum S, DeSanctis R, Potsaid M, Sise H. Comparison of 12;Tfibrinogen count scanning for detection of venous thrombi after elective hip surgery. N Engl J Med 1975; 292: 665-667
• 13 Bergquist D, Elvelin R, Eriksson U, Hjelmstedt A. Thrombosis following hip arthroplasty. A study using phlebography and I- fibrinogen test. Acta Orthop Scand 1976; 47: 549-555
• 14 Bockslaff H, Barthels M, Stolle E, Trentz O, Wuppermann T, Zech G. Friihdiagnose von Beinvenenthrombosen mit dem Radiofibri- nogentest bei Patienten mit alloplastischem Hiiftgelenkersatz. Munch Med Wochenschr 1974; 116: 1397
• 15 Morris GK, Mitchell J RA. Evaluation of 12Y-fibrinogen test for venous thrombosis in patients with hip fractures. Br Med J 1977; 1: 264-266
• 16 Sandler DA, Martin JF. Liquid crystal thermography as a screening test for deep venous thrombosis. Lancet 1985; 1: 665-668
• 17 Husted SE, Knemmer-Nielsen H, Krusell L. et al. Deep venous thrombosis detection by 99mTc-plasrnin test and phlebography. Br J Surg 1984; 71: 65-66
• 18 Lockner D, Christer P, Hedlund B, Schulman S, Nyman D. Thermography in the diagnosis of deep venous thrombosis. Thromb Haemostas 1981; 46: 652-654
• 19 Kohn H, Mostbeck A, Lofferer O, Konig B, Santler CH, Swetly CH. Technetium-labelled compounds for non-invasive detection of deep venous thrombosis. VASA 1984; 13: 238-243