Chapter 48 - Cerebral venous thrombosis

Summary

Cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT) affects patients of any age. Numerous causes and risk factors have been identified in CVT. They include all known medical, surgical, gynecoobstetrical causes of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in the legs, as well as a number of local causes, either infective or non infective, such as head trauma, brain tumors, arteriovenous malformations, and local infections like sinusitis. Medical causes and risk factors are the most frequent. They include congenital or acquired prothrombotic conditions, malignancies, hematological diseases, vasculitis, or other inflammatory systemic disorders. Diagnostic and therapeutic procedures such as surgery, lumbar puncture, jugular catheterization, and medications, in particular oral contraceptives, hormonal replacement therapy, steroids, and oncology treatments, can also cause or predispose to CVT. Headache is in all series the most frequent symptom, present in about 90%. Treatment of CVT is based on a combination of: symptomatic treatment; etiological treatment; and antithrombotic treatment.