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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