[Imaging of thrombus]

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to review the imaging of arterial and venous thrombus. Imaging plays a crucial role in the diagnosis or exclusion of mural thrombus in patients with arteriosclerosis because of the increased risk of distal embolism in the procedures and of venous thrombosis in patients with coagulation disorder. Enhanced spatial resolution, temporal resolution, and tissue characterization of imaging techniques show precise features of mural thrombus or have improved identification of unsuspected venous thrombosis. It is important to recognize the spectrum of various imaging features of thrombus. This article reviews the imaging appearances of arterial and venous thrombus using ultrasound, computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and radionuclide.