The clinical spectrum of intracerebral hematoma, hemorrhagic infarct, non-hemorrhagic infarct, and non-lesional venous stroke in patients with cerebral sinus-venous thrombosis

Kumral E et al. – Headache, convulsion, behavioral disorder, seizures, and speech disorders were the most frequent clinical symptoms of patients with hemorrhagic cerebral sinus–venous thrombosis (CSVT). Specific risk factors, including pregnancy/puerberium, early and extended thrombosis of large sinus, and presence of high blood pressure at admission, are associated with hemorrhagic lesion and unfavorable outcome.

Methods

• The diagnosis of cerebral sinus–venous thrombosis has been confirmed by conventional angiography, MRI combined with MR venography following established diagnostic criteria.
• The authors analyzed clinical data, symptoms and signs, imaging findings, location and extent of the thrombus, and parenchymal lesions, retrospectively.

Results

• There were 220 consecutive patients with cerebral sinus–venous thrombosis; 98 (45%) had non-lesional sinus-venous thrombosis (NL CSVT), 51 (23%) had non-hemorrhagic infarct (NHI), 45 (20%) had hemorrhagic infarct (HI), and 26 (12%) had intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH).
• In patients with hemorrhagic lesion (HI+ICH), advanced age, headache (99%), behavioral disturbances (55%), consciousness disturbances (35%), seizures (41%), and language deficits (42%) were significantly higher than the other patients (NL+NHI) (P < 0.001).
• High blood pressure at admission, puerperium, sigmoid and straight sinus thrombosis, multiple sinus and vein involvement were more frequent in patients with hemorrhagic lesion than those with non-hemorrhagic lesion.
• Patients with hemorrhagic lesion were more dependent or died (32%) than the other patients (12%) (P < 0.001), and most of the patients with NL and NHI had no disability compared with the other patients at the 3 month of follow-up (96% and 65%; P < 0.001).

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