English researchers report on a quick, reliable and non-invasive technique for imaging blood clots in the lower leg.

Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a potential health hazard for anyone on a long-haul flight. A clot forms in the leg and this is potentially dangerous because a piece may break away and travel round the body. If it then lodges in the lungs, the result is a pulmonary embolism, which may well prove fatal.

Ultrasound can detect DVT, but does so only be detecting changes in blood flow around the clot. Now researchers at the University of Nottingham, England, have developed an imaging method that detects clots directly - even before any symptoms develop. The technique is called magnetic resonance direct thrombus imaging (MRDTI) and it scores because it's fast - 12 minutes for the scan - non-invasive and, as the current study shows, reliable.

A group of 101 patients aged between 20 and 95 years with suspected DVT had MRDTI performed and the results assessed by experts. They found the new method is accurate throughout the whole of the lower leg venous system. Detecting clots directly like this will enable rapid treatment to be given before problems develop. The next stage is to use MRDTI to see which travellers are most at risk of DVT during a long-haul flight - an advance that could bring reassurance to many travellers.

Source

Annals of Internal Medicine January 15 2002