Evaluation of posttraumatic venous sinus occlusion with CT venography.
BACKGROUND
Although cerebral venous sinus occlusion (CVSO) is reported to be associated with intracranial hypertension, its incidence or significance in head trauma is not clear. This study investigated with CT venography the incidence of posttraumatic CVSO, its clinical course, and relation to intracranial hypertension.


METHODS
This study comprised 97 consecutive patients admitted to our Trauma Center from 2002 through 2008 with skull fracture of the petrous portion of the temporal bone or that crossed the dural sinus. Patients with CVSO were examined with CT venography and followed up with CT venography or magnetic resonance imaging. The relation of CVSO to patient outcome and incidence of "talk and deteriorate" was also investigated.


RESULTS
CVSO was observed in 22 of 97 patients (22.4%). Mortality was significantly higher in the CVSO group versus no-CVSO group (50.0% vs. 9.3%, p < 0.001). Incidence of lethal intracranial hypertension was higher in the CVSO versus no-CVSO group (40.9% vs. 5.3%, p < 0.001), although there was no difference in Glasgow Coma Scale score at admission between the two groups (CVSO group, 8 +/- 5 vs. no-CVSO group, 10 +/- 4). Recanalization without treatment for CVSO occurred by 6 months in 9 of the 11 survivors (81.8%) who could be followed up.


CONCLUSIONS
CVSO incidence after head injury was much higher than ever thought. It was associated with mortality and lethal intracranial hypertension, indicating that CVSO may induce acute increase in intracranial pressure in some cases. Early recognition of CVSO may be important to predict deterioration after admission and for starting immediate treatment.
Department of Traumatology and Acute Critical Medicine, Osaka University, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan. jan@v101.vaio.ne.jp
Yoshiyuki
Y
Fujii
Osamu
O
Tasaki
Kazuhisa
K
Yoshiya
Tadahiko
T
Shiozaki
Hiroshi
H
Ogura
Yasuyuki
Y
Kuwagata
Hisashi
H
Sugimoto
Yuka
Y
Sumi
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002423:Cause of Death; D005260:Female; D023261:Glasgow Outcome Scale; D006801:Humans; D019586:Intracranial Hypertension / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010690:Phlebography; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012851:Sinus Thrombosis, Intracranial / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality; D012887:Skull Fractures / Q000150:complications* / Q000401:mortality; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D055815:Young Adult