Volume 3, Issue 3 (Summer 2022)                   J Vessel Circ 2022, 3(3): 107-116 | Back to browse issues page

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Mokhtarian M, Arjmandnia M, Rabiee P, Rezvan S, Yousefi M, Fallahian A, et al . Diagnosis of Upper Extremity Deep Vein Thrombosis: A Review. J Vessel Circ 2022; 3 (3) :107-116
URL: http://jvessels.muq.ac.ir/article-1-227-en.html
Diagnosis of Upper Extremity Deep Vein Thrombosis: A Review
Mohammad-Hossein Mokhtarian1 , Mohammad-Hossein Arjmandnia2 , Parham Rabiee3 , Sajjad Rezvan * 4, Maryam Yousefi5 , Amirali Fallahian6 , Fatemeh Rezvan7 , Maliheh Rezaei Nayeh7
1- Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Garmsar Branch, Islamic Azad University, Garmsar, Iran.
2- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Qom University of Medical Sciences, Qom, Iran.
3- Department of Radiology, Rajaei Cardiovascular and Medical Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
4- Department of Radiology, School of Medicine, Qom University of Medical Sciences, Qom, Iran.
5- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine, Qom University of Medical Sciences, Qom, Iran.
6- Research Committee of Qom University of Medical Sciences, Qom, Iran.
7- Student Research Committee, Qom University of Medical Sciences, Qom, Iran.
Abstract:   (913 Views)
Background and Aim: Upper extremity deep vein thrombosis (UEDVT) accounts for 1% to 4% of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) cases and can be associated with complications and mortality. This study aims to review the upper extremity DVT diagnosis methods and evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of commonly available diagnostic tests for upper extremity DVT that can be used to provide a combined diagnosis strategy.
Materials and Methods: Articles in this study, national databases, including Magiran, SID, and IranMedex, as well as international databases, including PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus, and ISI databases, were searched for related books and articles. Keywords, including upper extremity deep vein thrombosis, thrombolysis, diagnosis, upper extremity deep vein thrombosis, thrombolysis, and diagnosis were searched and finally, 50 articles were reviewed.
Results: The accuracy of the D-dimer test for the diagnosis of UEDVT was evaluated in two studies. The sensitivity and specificity of D-dimer with a cut-off value of 500 micrograms per liter are 100% (95% confidence interval [CI], 78% to 100%), 14% (95% CI, 4% to 29%), 92% (95% CI), 73% to 99%), and 60% (95% CI, 52% to 67%). Duplex ultrasound has become the first line of diagnosis. The combined sensitivity and specificity of different ultrasound methods were, respectively, 84% (95% CI, 72% to 97%) and 94% (95% CI, 86% to 100%) for non-compression doppler ultrasound, 97% (95% CI, 90 to 100%) and 96% (95% CI, 87 to 100%) for compression ultrasound, and 91% (95% CI, 85 to 97%) and 93% (95% CI, 80 to 100%) for compression doppler ultrasound.
Conclusion: UEDVT is an increasing clinical problem and requires accurate and rapid diagnosis to prevent complications. Clinical suspicion should be confirmed by diagnostic imaging methods, such as duplex ultrasound, computed tomography (CT) scan, or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). A diagnostic strategy based on sequential evaluation of clinical factors and D-dimer test can avoid imaging in about a quarter of patients. Ultrasound is widely used as a first-line imaging test and, if inconclusive, may be followed by a second ultrasound, CT venography, or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
Keywords: Upper extremity deep vein thrombosis, Diagnosis, Diagnostic imaging, Ultrasonography, Epidemiology, Mechanical thrombolysis
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Type of Study: Review | Subject: cardiovascular diseases
Received: 2022/06/21 | Accepted: 2023/01/15 | Published: 2022/11/1
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