Which DVT test is performed using X-ray imaging with contrast to visualize veins?

Which DVT test is performed using X-ray imaging with contrast to visualize veins?

• A. Venography
• B. D-dimer blood test
• C. Duplex ultrasound
• D. Chorionic villus sampling

Answer: (A)

Imaging veins with contrast under X-ray to see the venous system is venography. In this test, a contrast agent is injected into a vein and X-ray images track how the contrast flows through the veins. A clot inside a vein shows up as a filling defect or an area that doesn’t fill with contrast, confirming DVT. Venography used to be the gold standard because it directly visualizes the thrombus, but it’s invasive and carries risks such as contrast reactions, kidney problems, and radiation exposure, so it’s less commonly used now. More commonly, duplex ultrasound is the preferred, noninvasive imaging method for most DVT cases. The other options aren’t imaging tests with contrast: a D-dimer test is a blood test that suggests clot formation when elevated; duplex ultrasound uses sound waves to image veins and assess blood flow; chorionic villus sampling is an obstetric test for placental tissue.

Imaging veins with contrast under X-ray to see the venous system is venography. In this test, a contrast agent is injected into a vein and X-ray images track how the contrast flows through the veins. A clot inside a vein shows up as a filling defect or an area that doesn’t fill with contrast, confirming DVT. Venography used to be the gold standard because it directly visualizes the thrombus, but it’s invasive and carries risks such as contrast reactions, kidney problems, and radiation exposure, so it’s less commonly used now. More commonly, duplex ultrasound is the preferred, noninvasive imaging method for most DVT cases. The other options aren’t imaging tests with contrast: a D-dimer test is a blood test that suggests clot formation when elevated; duplex ultrasound uses sound waves to image veins and assess blood flow; chorionic villus sampling is an obstetric test for placental tissue.