Comparison of a Pocket-Sized Versus a Full-Sized Ultrasound System in the Diagnosis of Proximal Lower Limb Acute Deep Vein Thrombosis

Abstract

This study assessed the performance of a pocket-sized ultrasound system for the diagnosis of proximal lower limb acute deep vein thrombosis (DVT) compared to a full-sized ultrasound system. Patients who needed urgent lower limb sonograms for acute DVT were invited for the study. In each examination, the investigator scanned the patient using the pocket-sized system and then repeated the scan using the full-sized system. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of the pocket-sized system were determined in reference to the full-sized system. The venous segments that failed to be visualized using the two systems were compared. One hundred lower limbs comprising 500 venous segments were examined. There were four venous segments, including two mid and two lower femoral veins in two patients who failed to be visualized using both systems. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy for diagnosing proximal lower limb acute DVT were 100% (95% confidence interval [CI], 94.94%–100%), 100% (95% CI, 99.05%–100%), and 100% (95% CI, 99.19%–100%), respectively. The pocket-sized ultrasound system and the full sized-ultrasound system demonstrated a comparable performance in detecting acute DVT in the leg.