Role of race and sex in diagnosis and one-year follow up of deep venous thrombosis.

This study examines the role of sex and race in the diagnosis and outcome of deep vein thrombosis (DVT). A retrospective study was performed of 632 patients who underwent venous duplex ultrasound from August 1998 to July 1999. Comparisons were made by Chi-square analysis. Seventy-four percent of the patients were women and 79% of the total group was African American. Twenty-two percent (140) of the examinations were positive for DVT. Of all studies performed in men, 37% were positive for DVT, and of all studies performed in women, 18% were positive for DVT (P<0.05). Additionally, African-American women were more likely to be positive for DVT than Caucasian women. One-year follow up showed that 42% had residual thrombus and, regardless of sex, African-Americans were more likely to have persistent thrombus than Caucasians (60% vs. 19%). Findings in this study suggest, in our cohort, African American women were diagnosed with DVT twice as often as Caucasian women and African Americans were more likely to have a persistent DVT as compared to Caucasians.

Duke Scholars

Author Leila Mureebe Surgery, Vascular and Endovascular Surgery