Diagnosis of thrombosis of the deep veins of the lower extremities and pelvis and pulmonary thromboembolism using 99Tcm human serum albumin macroaggregates

Radionuclide phlebography of the lower extremities, pelvis and pulmonary scintigraphy was performed using Tc human serum albumin macroaggregates (MAA) in 90 patients aged 20 to 80 years, 13 (14%) in post-operative period and 77 (85%) with suspected deep venous thrombosis or pulmonary thromboembolism. The aim of the study was to evaluate the diagnosis of thrombosis of the deep veins of the lower extremities and pelvis and pulmonary thromboembolism using a refined technique. Deep venous thrombosis (DVT) was detected in all surgical patients and in 59 patients with systemic diseases. Perfusion scintigraphic defects characteristic of pulmonary thromboembolism (PE) were discovered in 12 of the surgical patients and in 38 of the medical patients. The results of the examinations have again shown that patients after surgery are exposed to high risks of DVT and pulmonary thromboembolism, while a relatively high percentage of normal findings in patients with suspected DVT have indicated unreliability of clinical symptoms and signs in diagnosing this disease.