Common causes of calf pain that mimic acute DVT include Venous insufficiency and postphlebitic syndrome Cellulitis that causes painful erythema of the calf Ruptured popliteal (Baker) cyst (pseudo-DVT), which causes calf swelling, pain, and sometimes bruising in the region of the medial malleolus Partial or complete tears of the calf muscles or tendons Diagnosis of DVT Ultrasonography Sometimes D-dimer testing History and physical examination help determine probability of DVT before testing (see table).