title: Local thrombolytic therapy in deep cerebral venous thrombosis.
abstract: Thrombosis of the deep cerebral venous system is a rare entity with a very poor prognosis. We report two patients with thrombosis of the internal cerebral veins and vein of Galen who responded to local urokinase. We review all 49 cases of deep cerebral venous thrombosis in the English literature. The mortality rate for patients treated with either IV heparin or local thrombolytics was 13% compared with 48% in untreated patients (p = 0.037). Based on this retrospective review of the literature and our two cases, we support the use of heparin or local thrombolytics in individual cases of deep cerebral venous thrombosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of Michigan Medical Center, Ann Arbor, USA.
authors.forename: A G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: W T
authors.initials: WT
authors.lastname: Cornblath
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Deveikis
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000925:Anticoagulants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001921:Brain / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D002550:Cerebral Veins; D005260:Female; D005343:Fibrinolytic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006493:Heparin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D018810:Magnetic Resonance Angiography; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D010690:Phlebography; D010960:Plasminogen Activators / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013927:Thrombosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014568:Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D000925:Anticoagulants; D005343:Fibrinolytic Agents; D006493:Heparin; D010960:Plasminogen Activators; D014568:Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator