Symptoms & Signs
- Changes in skin color (redness) in one leg
- Increased warmth in one leg
- Leg pain in one leg (it may hurt to place all of your weight on this leg when standing)
- Leg tenderness in one leg
- Skin that feels warm to the touch
- Swelling (edema) of one leg
Diagnosis & Tests
Your health care provider will perform a physical exam. The exam may show a red, swollen, or tender leg.
The following tests may be done:
- Doppler ultrasound exam of a limb
- D-dimer blood test
- Plethysmography of the legs
- X-rays to show veins in the affected area(venography)
Blood tests may be done to check if there is increased chance of blood clotting (hypercoagulability). Such tests include:
- Activated protein C resistance (checks for the Factor V Leiden mutation)
- Antithrombin III levels
- Genetic testing to look for mutations that make you more likely to develop blood clots, including the prothrombin G20210A mutation
- Lupus anticoagulant or antiphospholipid antibodies
- Protein C and protein S levels
- Screening for disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC)
This list is not all-inclusive.
-
Deep venous thrombosis : Overview, Causes, & Risk Factors
-
Deep venous thrombosis : Symptoms & Signs, Diagnosis & Tests
-
Deep venous thrombosis : Treatment
Review Date : 2/9/2010
Reviewed By : David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.
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