How Is Deep Vein Thrombosis Diagnosed?

How is DVT diagnosed?

There are several ways to diagnose DVT, these include:1

Physical examination – Your doctor will look for any swelling, dis-colouration and soreness in the affected area.

Ultrasound – This allows your doctor to watch and monitor the blood flow ensuring that there are no blood clots present and the overall flow of the blood is not being constrained or restricted.

Blood tests – Your doctor will check for the presence of D-Dimer, a small protein fragment that is present in the blood of all DVT sufferers.

Venography – An X-ray test that involves injecting dye into a vein to show how blood flows through your veins. This will allow your doctor to determine the condition of your veins. 

Computerized tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans – These are imaging techniques which portray high resolution images of the veins. Your doctor may use these techniques to show if there is a clot present.