Cerebral Venous Thrombosis

Presentation

  • Mean age: 39 years old
  • New headache symptoms with the presence of risk factors including: peripartum, recent surgery, hypercoagulable state (use of OCPs, hematologic disorders, Factor V Leiden, protein C or protein S deficiency, anti-thrombin III deficiency)
  • In severe cases, patients can present with seizure (40%), stroke symptoms, coma (14%), intracerebral hemorrhage, or elevated ICP

Diagnosis

  • MRV is the gold standard
  • CT Venography if MRI is contraindicated
  • Non contrast CT possesses insufficient sensitivity or specificity to be of diagnostic value in the setting of high clinical suspicion

Management

  • Heparin or LMWH followed by oral AC for 3-6 months
  • Seizure prophylaxis if initial presentation included presence of seizures

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