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Thromb Haemost 2003; 89(02): 284-287
DOI: 10.1055/s-0037-1613444
Blood Coagulation, Fibrinolysis and Cellular Haemostasis
Schattauer GmbH

Prospective assessment of the natural history of positive D-dimer results in persons with acute venous thromboembolism (DVT or PE)

John Kuruvilla
1   Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
,
Phil S. Wells
2   Department of Hematology, Ottawa Civic Hospital, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
,
Bev Morrow
3   Department of Hematology, London Health Sciences Centre, London, Ontario, Canada
,
Karen MacKinnon
3   Department of Hematology, London Health Sciences Centre, London, Ontario, Canada
,
Michael Keeney
3   Department of Hematology, London Health Sciences Centre, London, Ontario, Canada
,
Michael J. Kovacs
3   Department of Hematology, London Health Sciences Centre, London, Ontario, Canada
› Author Affiliations
Further Information

Publication History

Received 30 April 2002

Accepted after resubmission 07 October 2002

Publication Date:
07 December 2017 (online)

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Summary

The natural history of initially positive D-dimers for venous thromboembolism is not known. If it returns to negative in the majority of patients, it would be potentially helpful to diagnose a recurrence. In this study, we prospectively measured D-dimer levels in outpatients with a diagnosis of venous thrombo-embolism. There were a total of 152 patients with an average age of 57. D-dimer results were performed at baseline and repeated at one week, one month and three months.

At baseline 120 of 152 (79%) had a positive D-dimer result. Of those with an initially positive result, 80% were still positive at one week and 39% were still positive at one month. Finally at three months, 13% remained positive. Seven patients had recurrent events and all had persistently elevated D-dimers at one month. This study suggests that a persistently positive D-dimer result after one month of treatment may indicate a higher risk of recurrent venous thromboembolism. D-dimer testing for the diagnosis of recurrence of venous thromboembolism deserves further study.

Keywords

D-dimer - venous thromboembolism - recurrence - diagnosis - natural history
 

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