• Mehmet Cihat Demir and Kudret Selki.
• Department of Emergency Medicine, School of Medicine, Duzce University, Duzce, Turkiye.
• J Coll Physicians Surg Pak. 2024 Dec 1; 34 (12): 153415381534-1538.

ObjectiveTo determine whether malignancy was discovered within one year of follow-up in patients with deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in the emergency department (ED).Study DesignDescriptive study. Place and Duration of the Study: Department of Emergency Medicine, School of Medicine, Duzce University, Duzce, Turkiye, from November 2019 to November 2022.MethodologyAll patients diagnosed with lower limb DVT on venous Doppler ultrasound were included in this study. Patients with a confirmed diagnosis or suspicion of malignancy were excluded. The study outcome was the discovery of malignancy within a year. DVT patients subsequently diagnosed with malignancy were grouped as secondary or idiopathic.ResultsA total of 224 DVT patients without malignancy were studied. The median age of patients diagnosed with DVT was 65.5 years (47-77), of which, 51.8% were females. Malignancy was detected in 5.4% (12/224) of the patients within one year. Malignancy discovery was significantly higher in the secondary DVT group (OR = 4.52, 95% CI = 1.31-11.55; p = 0.021). Ten of 12 patients (83.3%) diagnosed with malignancy were from the genitourinary or gastrointestinal systems.ConclusionIn patients without known malignancy who were diagnosed with DVT in the ED, the rate of malignancy discovery in a one-year follow-up was 5.4%. EDs, where DVT is frequently diagnosed, are a hub of opportunities for early detection of malignancy. Arranging primary care follow-up of patients with DVT will contribute to better early diagnosis and survival rates, especially for genitourinary and gastrointestinal malignancies.Key WordsDeep vein thrombosis, Malignancy, Emergency department, Venous Doppler ultrasound.

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