Blood Clot in Leg; Symptoms, Causes, & Treatment

Diagnosis of Blood Clots in the Legs

Diagnosing deep venous thrombosis consists of a careful clinical examination and Investigations. Your doctor will ask you questions about your symptoms and when they developed. They will then thoroughly examine your legs for signs of blood clots including checking for swelling and assessing pulses to determine the likelihood of having a blood clot. They may then order some investigations to confirm diagnosis including:

• Complete Blood Count: a CBC does not diagnose a blood clot but will give a good picture of your condition and can help detect blood cancer, which can cause deep venous thrombosis.
• Coagulation Tests: several coagulation tests exist to detect if there is a deficiency or abnormality of coagulation factors. The most common cause of coagulation abnormalities in deep venous thrombosis is factor V Leiden. Hereditary factor deficiencies can be detected by genetic analysis.
• D-Dimer: D-dimer is a lab test that can detect the presence of a blood clot when suspected. Doctors use it after clinical examination to confirm rather than to blindly diagnose.
• Doppler Scan of the Leg: Doppler scan is a special type of ultrasound scan that assesses the flow of blood within blood vessels. It can detect blood clots with high accuracy and does not involve using radiation or injection of contrast material.
• CT Scan of the Chest: As mentioned above, one of the serious complications of blood clots in the leg is pulmonary embolism. CT pulmonary angiography is an imaging test done to diagnose it with high accuracy.