Low Tube Voltage Computed Tomography Venography for Patients With Deep Vein Thrombosis of the Lower Extremities - A Comparison With Venous Ultrasonography

Background Low tube voltage computed tomography venography (CTV) can be expected to increase imaging contrast and decrease radiation exposure by using iterative reconstruction (IR). This study evaluated the diagnostic ability of low tube voltage CTV with IR for deep vein thrombosis (DVT), compared to ultrasonography (US).Methods and Results:Two experienced radiologists retrospectively reevaluated the CTV data of 55 of 318 consecutive patients suspected of having DVT or pulmonary embolism between December 2015 and April 2017. The 55 patients had undergone both low tube voltage CTV and US (within 1 day before or after CTV). The lower extremity veins were divided into 10 segments. The DVT forms were categorized into 3 types: complete, concentric, and eccentric. We analyzed the 534 overall segments (16 segments excluded in US) measured using both CTV and US. The sensitivity-specificity was overall 73.3-90.0%, for femoropopliteal, it was 90.0-93.2%, and for the calf, it was 71.1-87.2%. The diagnostic accuracy between the 'eccentric only' and 'others' groups focusing on DVT forms was compared, and significant differences were revealed, especially in the muscular vein. Conclusions The DVT diagnostic ability above the knee was comparable between low tube voltage CTV with IR and conventional CTV, and the radiation dose was reduced. It was suggested that eccentric DVT measured by CTV tend to be a false-positive, especially in the calf muscular vein.