Phlebography of the lower limb: current state and competitive methods

CM phlebography has a firm tradition in examination of the venous diseases of the lower limb. It gives immediate and complete pictorial information both about the morphology and function of the veins. Non-ionic low-osmolar CM have indusputably decreased the incidence of discomfort and other adverse reactions in phlebography, making it a far better method for the primary diagnosis of venous diseases. New ultrasound techniques, compression and colour-coded duplex Doppler ultrasound, are the most promising competitive methods, with a high degree of preliminary accuracy. The new pulse sequences may also make MRI applicable to reliable imaging of leg veins, especially in cases of DVT. (author). 40 refs.; 2 tabs