Deep venous thrombosis in peripheral vascular disease

Background: This prospective study aimed to determine the prevalence of lower limb deep venous thrombosis in patients with peripheral vascular disease (PVD). Methods: Some 136 patients admitted for arteriography, angioplasty or arterial reconstruction with limiting claudication (n=72), ischaemic rest pain (n=26) or gangrene (n=38) and 40 control subjects admitted for general surgical procedures but without evidence of PVD were screened with colour duplex ultrasonography for the presence of venous thrombosis in the lower limb deep veins before any surgical or radiological procedures were undertaken. Patient age, the ankle:brachial pressure index (ABPI) and the presence of other risk factors for venous thromboembolism were also recorded. Results: Venous thrombosis was found in 27 of 136 patients with PVD and two of 40 control patients (P = 0.03). Logistic regression analysis demonstrated that decreasing ABPI independently contributed to an increased risk of deep venous thrombosis. Conclusion: There was a high prevalence of venous thrombosis among patients with PVD which was related to the severity of the ischaemia.