Deep vein thrombosis: a 7-year follow-up study.

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: To study the sequelae of deep venous thrombosis (DVT) in terms of symptoms and objective signs of deep venous insufficiency (DVI) and their relationship to the initial extension of DVT, and to assess the control legs in the same way. DESIGN: Follow-up study after an average of 89 (range 79-102) months. SETTING: Out-patient clinic, University Hospital, Oslo. SUBJECTS: Seventy-six patients with DVT 7 years previously. At follow-up 41 patients were dead and 10 were not available for restudy, thus twenty-five patients were studied in all. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Symptom rating. Objective verification of DVI by invasive pressure recordings (DVI-I) and by the Doppler ultrasound technique (DVI-D). RESULTS: At follow-up, 42% of the patients had symptoms, half of these severe, while 68% had DVI. Eighty-two per cent of symptomatic patients and 60% of the asymptomatic patients had DVI. There were no more symptoms in proximal than in distal DVT, but slightly more DVI. Control legs had neither symptoms nor DVI. CONCLUSIONS: Seven years after DVT few patients had severe symptoms, although objective signs of DVI were common. Symptoms were no more frequent after proximal than after distal DVT. We found no symptoms or DVI in control legs.