Doppler ultrasonographic examination of the leg veins of patients with Parkinson disease

J Psychiatry Neurosci. 1999 Sep;24(4):338-40.

Abstract

Objective: To determine the incidence of deep venous thrombosis (DVT) in patients with Parkinson disease.

Design: Prospective study.

Setting: Outpatient neurology clinic.

Patients: Eighty-one patients with Parkinson disease.

Outcome measures: Duplex ultrasonographic scans consisting of M mode images and compression images, Doppler flow assessment and augmentation of flow assessment.

Results: Four patients had leg DVT; in 3 of the patients the thrombi were in calf veins, whereas in 1 patient the thrombosis was in the superficial femoral vein. Of the patients with DVT, 1 (1.23%) had stage 2 Parkinson disease, 1 (1.23%) had stage 2.5, and the other 2 (2.46%) had stage 4.

Conclusions: There was no statistically significant difference in the incidence of DVT among patients who were more severely disabled by Parkinson disease. However, an overall incidence of DVT of 4.9% in a group of asymptomatic patients is clinically meaningful, suggesting that patients with Parkinson disease are at risk for asymptomatic leg DVT.

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Parkinson Disease / complications*
  • Severity of Illness Index
  • Ultrasonography, Doppler / methods
  • Venous Thrombosis / complications*
  • Venous Thrombosis / diagnostic imaging*
  • Venous Thrombosis / epidemiology