Question

Deep venous thrombosis - which is incorrect?

• A. Clinical assessment highly reliable
• B. Mostly bilateral
• C. Most common clinically presents as pain and tenderness in calf
• D. Some cases may directly present as pulmonary thromboembolism

Hint:

DVT is typically one-sided, not symmetrical.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

Step 1: This is a negative question - find the statement that is NOT true of deep venous thrombosis (DVT).
Step 2: DVT is characteristically unilateral. The Wells criteria themselves score unilateral calf swelling, unilateral pitting oedema, and swollen unilateral superficial veins, which confirms the typical asymmetry. So calling it mostly bilateral is incorrect, making option b the answer.
Step 3: The other options are correct - calf pain and tenderness are common presentations, and a DVT may first announce itself as a pulmonary thromboembolism when a clot embolizes to the lungs.
Step 4: Clinical assessment with a structured score (Wells) is a useful, reasonably reliable first step, so that statement is also acceptable, leaving bilateral as the wrong one.