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(Stroke. 2002;33:1645.)
© 2002 American Heart Association, Inc.

Original Contributions

Intracranial Venous Hemodynamics Is a Factor Related to a Favorable Outcome in Cerebral Venous Thrombosis

Erwin Stolz, MD; Tibo Gerriets, MD; Rolf H. Bödeker, MD, PhD; Monika Hügens-Penzel, MD Manfred Kaps, MD

From the Departments of Neurology (E.S., T.G., M.K.), Medical Informatics (R.H.B.), and Neuroradiology (M.H.-P.), Justus-Liebig University, Giessen, Germany

Correspondence to Erwin Stolz, MD, Department of Neurology, Justus-Liebig University, Am Steg 14, D-35385 Giessen, Germany. E-mail erwin.stolz{at}neuro.med.uni-giessen.de

Background— In recent studies, coma, cerebral hemorrhage, older age, and infectious origin have been identified as prognostic factors in cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT). However, no studies of the prognosis of CVT have evaluated hemodynamic factors. However, it is conceivable that the presence or absence and the efficiency of venous collaterals, as well as recanalization, may have an impact on brain tissue damage and hence on the prognosis of acute CVT.

Methods— Twenty-six patients with acute CVT (mean age, 40±15 years) were recruited prospectively. All patients were treated with intravenous heparin, followed by oral anticoagulation for 12 months, except for 2 patients who were lost to follow-up after hospital discharge. Neurological deficits were graded on the National Institute of Health Stroke Scale on admission, at hospital discharge, and at 90±14 days after admission. The functional clinical outcome was graded on the modified Rankin Scale on day 90 after admission. All patients received a venous transcranial duplex sonography (TCCS) on admission and were followed up in case of a pathological result until normalization was recorded (mean follow-up, 316±395 days; range, 13 to 1180 days).

Results— Initial TCCS was pathological in 18 of 26 patients (69%). Four distinct venous drainage types were identified: increased drainage to the cavernous sinus and to the deep cerebral veins, flow reversal in the basal veins, and either compensatory increased or reversed flow in the transverse sinus. Initially normal venous TCCS or normalized TCCS within 90 days was significantly related to favorable outcome.

Conclusions— TCCS can be used to evaluate venous drainage patterns in acute CVT. Furthermore, initially normal and normalization of initially pathological venous TCCS within 90 days is related to a favorable outcome in this disease.

Key Words: cerebral veins • prognosis • sinus thrombosis • thrombosis • ultrasonography, Doppler, color

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