Neurological and cognitive long-term outcome in patients with cerebral venous sinus thrombosis.
OBJECTIVE
The main aim of the present study was to assess long-term neurological and cognitive outcome in patients with cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST).


METHODS
We re-investigated by means of a face to face interview all patients with a confirmed diagnosis of CVST, collected at our Department over the years 1990-2000. During the interview the presence of headache, epileptic seizures, visual deficits and a new episode following the first occurrence of CVST were checked. Moreover all patients underwent a neurological examination, a functional evaluation, a cognitive assessment to rule out aphasia, apraxia and working memory deficits. Depression of mood was also investigated.


RESULTS
On the whole 34 patients entered the study: 10 patients referred episodic headache following the disease. In three cases epileptic seizures were present. A new event occurred in only one patient. Four patients showed pyramidal signs, in two cases visual deficits were present. All patients had no functional disability. We found a mild non-fluent aphasia in three patients, working memory deficits in six patients and depression of mood in six cases.


CONCLUSIONS
The present study demonstrates a good neurological and cognitive long-term outcome in patients with CVST.
Buccino
G
G
Institute of Human Physiology, University of Parma, Parma, Italy. giovanni.buccino@unipr.it
Scoditti
U
U
Patteri
I
I
Bertolino
C
C
Mancia
D
D
D000328:Adult; D002550:Cerebral Veins; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009460:Neurologic Examination; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D012851:Sinus Thrombosis, Intracranial / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis; D016896:Treatment Outcome