title: Cerebral Venous Thrombosis and Headache--A Case-Series.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Headache happens in the majority of patients with Cerebral Venous Thrombosis (CVT) being sometimes the sole manifestation of the disease. Herein we report a case-series of CVT, focusing on headache characteristics.
  
  
  METHODS
  Etiological, clinical, and radiological features of 25 consecutive adult patients with CVT were compiled from August 2005 to December 2013. Diagnosis of CVT was confirmed by brain magnetic resonance imaging and magnetic resonance venography. All patients underwent extensive systematic etiological and genetic work-up at admission. A structured questionnaire about the characteristics of headache was responded by all participants.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Headache was reported by 23 out of 25 (92%) of participants, being by far the most frequent symptom. It was the sole manifestation in nearly one third of the patients (8/25, 32.0%). Headache was typically severe (19/23, 82.6%) and throbbing (16/23, 69.5%), with sudden onset (13/23, 56.5%) and non-remitting (20/23, 86.9%) characteristics. The sinus most frequently involved was the transverse sinus (24/25, 96.0%), either alone or in association with other sinuses.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Headache is the most frequent symptom and sometimes the sole presentation of CVT.
authors.affiliation: Division of Neurology, Department of Neurosciences, Benevento, Italy.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sparaco
authors.affiliation: Division of Neurology, Department of Neurosciences, Benevento, Italy.
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Feleppa
authors.affiliation: Global Clinical Development, Migraine and Headaches, Teva Pharmaceuticals, Frazer, PA, USA.
authors.forename: Marcelo E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Bigal
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002550:Cerebral Veins / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006261:Headache / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D020767:Intracranial Thrombosis / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D020246:Venous Thrombosis / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: case-series; cerebral venous thrombosis; headache