Aashish Chopra1, Srinivasan Ramadurai2, Sowmya Gopalan3, Preetam Arthur4
Cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT) is an unusual cause of stroke that affects the young and is often missed or misdiagnosed. This study was undertaken to study the profile of patients who presented with CVT. METHODS: A cohort of 59 patients who presented to Sri Ramachandra Medical College and Research Institute, Chennai between June 2009 to September 2011 and were diagnosed to have CVT by neuro imaging were included in the study. Clinical and laboratory parameters were entered into a detailed questionnaire and patients were followed up during their stay in hospital. Data was analysed using SPSS software for Windows version SPSS 16.0. RESULTS: The mean age at diagnosis was 37 years. Headache was the most common symptom (86.4%) of patients followed by vomiting (44.1%) and seizures (42.4%). Papilledema was the most common sign in 37% of patients. Superior sagittal sinus was the most commonly affected. Hyperhomocysteinemia was the underlying etiological factor in 23%. 7 patients were in the pregnant and puerperal period. All patients were treated with anticoagulants. 2 patients died in hospital. CONCLUSION: CVT presents in the young, often with symptoms and signs of raised intracranial pressure. Response to therapy is better than with arterial stroke and there is a favourable outcome.
