Cerebral Venous Thrombosis

CVST occurs when a blood clot forms in a venous sinus — a large vein that helps transport blood between the brain and heart — and prevents blood from draining away from the brain; instead, blood leaks into the brain tissue. This type of stroke occurs in adults as well as infants and children.

A CVST is more common in women than men and may be related to hormonal factors such as contraception use and pregnancy. Risk factors in adults are related to conditions that affect the blood’s ability to coagulate:

• Cancer 
• Collagen vascular disease (lupus, Behcet’s disease, Wegener’s granulomatosis) 
• Contraception use in women 
• Deficiencies or mutations associated with blood clotting (factor V Leiden mutation, lupus anticoagulant, antiphospholipid syndrome, antithrombin III deficiency, protein S or C deficiency) 
• Inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis) 
• Intracranial hypotension (lower than normal fluid pressure in the head)
• Obesity 
• Pregnancy and the period around birth 
• Severe dehydration

Risk factors for CVST in infants and children can include:

• Beta-thalassemia major (blood disorder that reduces hemoglobin production)
• Conditions associated with problems with blood clotting 
• Chronic hemolytic anemia (destruction of red blood cells)
• Dehydration 
• Head injury 
• Heart disease (congenital or acquired) 
• In newborns, a mother with infection or past infertility 
• Iron deficiency 
• Sickle cell anemia 
• Sinus infection or inflammation in the back of the throat or tonsils 

If you are experiencing CVST symptoms, Houston Methodist stroke specialists will obtain your medical history, if possible; perform a physical examination; and then perform blood tests to determine clotting time, levels of critical blood factors and blood sugar, and whether infection is present. 

CVST symptoms can include:

• Blurred or double vision 
• Coma
• Fainting or loss of consciousness 
• Seizure 
• Severe headache 
• Weakness or loss of control in the face or limbs on one side of the body

You may also have imaging exams such as CT, MRI or a cerebral angiogram so our team can quickly and accurately determine whether CVST is the cause of your symptoms.

CVST requires emergency treatment — it can cause a life-threatening stroke. Emergency treatment may include:

• Administration of IV fluids
• Antibiotics in the case of infection
• Antiseizure medications
• Controlling intracranial pressure

Once your condition is stabilized, our doctors will take steps to identify and treat the underlying cause of CVST, which may require medication or a procedure. Our goal is to prevent complications, which can include:

• Speech or vision impairment 
• Problems moving parts of the body 
• Headache 
• Increased intracranial pressure and brain injury 
• Developmental delay in infants and children 
• Death

Our stroke centers are  certified by DNV Healthcare, Inc., one of the leading accrediting agencies for U.S. hospitals. We provide the most advanced treatments and therapies for patients recovering from CVST.