Symptoms
The clinical diagnosis of DVT is difficult. The classic signs and symptoms of DVT include pain, tenderness, and swelling in the affected leg. Other associated nonspecific findings are warmth, redness, a palpable clot within the leg, and pain when flexing the foot towards the head. When a patient has these symptoms, the diagnosis of DVT may be likely. However, no patient should be treated based on clinical findings alone because even if a patient has a swollen, painful, congested leg that appears to strongly suggest DVT, the chance that DVT is the correct diagnosis is not absolute. Similarly, an absence of signs and symptoms does not rule out DVT because most cases do not display the classic symptoms.

Last updated: 01-Jan-00