title: Cerebral Sinus Thrombosis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Although cerebral venous thrombosis/cerebral sinus thrombosis (CVT/CST) remains a relatively uncommon cause of stroke and other neurologic complications, the widespread availability of noninvasive brain imaging has led to an increase in its diagnosis.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Through a review and description of its epidemiology, clinical features and treatment, to heighten awareness of CVT/CST.
  
  
  METHODS
  Via a systematic review of the more recently published medical literature relevant to the topic and focusing in particular on primary sources, we compiled data related to the incidence of CVT/CST and its diagnosis, treatment and prognosis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Thrombosis of a cerebral vein or sinus may occur in individuals of any age and may be caused by a myriad of prothrombotic conditions, both primary and acquired. The clinical presentation of CVT/CST is widely variable, but headache is present in the great majority of cases, and the predominant symptom in many. The headache associated with CVT/CST may be acute, severe, and even "thunderclap" in character, or it may be chronic, pervasive, and of lower intensity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Given its eclectic epidemiology, its potential to produce a highly unfavorable clinical outcome, and evidence suggesting that specific treatment improves outcome, CVT/CST is a disorder whose salient features should be familiar to virtually all clinicians.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Kunal
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Agrawal
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA.
authors.forename: Kathy
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Burger
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA. jrothrock@mfa.gwu.edu.
authors.forename: John F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Rothrock
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D012851:Sinus Thrombosis, Intracranial / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*
keywords: sinus thrombosis; stroke; venous thrombosis