Central Venous Thrombosis

Synonyms

Cerebral thrombophlebitis; Cerebral venous thrombosis; Dural sinus thrombosis; Intracranial venous thrombosis; Sagittal sinus thrombosis; Sinus thrombosis

Definition

Central venous thrombosis is a rare form of stroke that results from thrombosis (blood clot) of the veins in the dura mater that surround and drain blood from the brain.

Current Knowledge

Symptoms may include headache, abnormal vision, seizures, and any of the symptoms of stroke such as weakness of the face and limbs on one side of the body. Diagnosis is usually made by computed tomography (CT/CAT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanning, using radiocontrast to demonstrate obstruction of the venous sinuses by thrombus. In about 80% of patients with this condition, it occurs in the setting of a preexisting underlying clotting disorder such as Protein C deficiency, Protein S deficiency, hyperhomocysteinemia, nephrotic syndrome, antiphospholipid antibody syndrome, pregnancy, oral contraceptive use, systemic...