Which statement best describes Homan's sign in the evaluation of DVT?

Which statement best describes Homan's sign in the evaluation of DVT?

• A. It is unreliable and no longer part of assessment
• B. It definitively confirms DVT
• C. It predicts pulmonary embolism
• D. It should be used in all patients with suspected DVT

Answer: (A)

Homan's sign is an old clinical sign involving calf pain triggered by dorsiflexion of the foot; it was once used in suspected DVT, but it is unreliable because it has poor sensitivity and specificity—many non-thrombotic conditions can cause similar pain and a DVT can be present without producing this sign. Because it does not accurately identify DVT or predict complications like pulmonary embolism, it is no longer part of standard assessment. Modern evaluation relies on imaging, such as compression duplex ultrasonography, often guided by the patient’s pretest probability and, in some cases, D-dimer testing.

Homan's sign is an old clinical sign involving calf pain triggered by dorsiflexion of the foot; it was once used in suspected DVT, but it is unreliable because it has poor sensitivity and specificity—many non-thrombotic conditions can cause similar pain and a DVT can be present without producing this sign. Because it does not accurately identify DVT or predict complications like pulmonary embolism, it is no longer part of standard assessment. Modern evaluation relies on imaging, such as compression duplex ultrasonography, often guided by the patient’s pretest probability and, in some cases, D-dimer testing.