Nuclear medicine diagnosis in venous diseases of the extremities

The 125I fibrinogen test and radionuclide venography have so far been the two standard methods of thrombosis diagnosis via nuclear medicine. Both methods have been developed further as a result of scientific and technical advances in recent years. Direct visualisation of thrombi with the help of 111indium thrombocytes is becoming increasingly important. Direct visualisation of thrombi can be made still easier by antithrombocytic antibodies. In case of contrast medium intolerance, and in diagnosing pulmonary embolism, radionuclide venography can still be useful in combination with lung perfusion scintigraphy, even if nonionic x-ray contrast media are increasingly introduced. The diagnostic possibilities offered by contrast medium venography in respect of precise morphological vascular imaging and function diagnosis, are complementary in many problems of venous diagnostics.