on July 14, 2005
Published online before print July 14, 2005, doi: 10.1161/01.STR.0000173401.76085.98
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Submitted on March 22, 2005
From the Neurology Department (I.C., C.T., F.W., M.-G.B.) and Angio-Haematology Department (C.S., L.D.), Lariboisière Hospital; Inserm U708 (C.T.); and the Emergency Headache Center (A.D.), Lariboisière Hospital, Paris, France. * To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: isabelle.crassard{at}lrb.aphp.fr.
Background--Cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT) is an infrequent variety of cerebrovascular disease with a wide spectrum of clinical presentations and a notoriously difficult diagnosis. Previous reports have emphasized the potential clinical utility of D-dimer assay in CVT diagnosis. Methods--A rapid sensitive D-dimer assay was performed at entry in 73 patients with CVT <30 days duration, examined in our institution between 1999 and 2003. Results--The mean value of D-dimer levels was 1521 ng/mL; 7 patients (10% of all patients and 26% of those presenting with isolated headache) had values <500 ng/mL. In a multivariate analysis, isolated headache was the only variable associated with a negative D-dimer assay. Conclusion--A negative D-Dimer assay does not confidently rule out CVT, particularly in the setting of recent isolated headache.
Revised on April 25, 2005
Accepted on May 25, 2005
A Negative D-Dimer Assay Does Not Rule Out Cerebral Venous Thrombosis. A Series of Seventy-Three Patients
Isabelle Crassard MD*;
Key words: cerebral thrombosis • headache • sinus thrombosis