Cerebral venous thrombosis: causal factors, clinical manifestations and imaging findings

S.Alj, M.Ouali Idrissi, N. Cherif El Idrissi El Ganouni, O.Essadki, A.Ousehal

Radiology department, Ibn Tofail Hospital , Cadi Ayyad University, Marrakech.

NR5

Introduction(1)

• • • Cerebral venous thrombosis : a relatively uncommon neurologic disorder. Clinical manifestations :varied but not specific.

Imaging , specially the MRI, plays a primary role in the diagnosis.

Introduction(2)

• The aim of this study is to describe: - the normal venous anatomy, -clinical manifestations -causal factors -imaging finding in cerebral venous thrombosis.

Methods and patients :

• • • • Retrospective study from 2007 to 2010 Included in the study : Patients with cerebral venous thrombosis Computed tomography (CT) with contrast media administration : performed in 10 patients.

All the patients underwent magnetic resonance (MR) imaging : -axial FLAIR and T1 WI -Sagittal T2 WI -Diffusion WI -MR venography sequences.

Results

• • • 1-Epidemiological features: Thirty one patients were included in the study.

Patients were aged between 16 and 52 years (medium age of 31 years).

twenty five patients were women .

Results

• • 1-Epidemiological features: Causal factors were found in 19 patients (61%):

Causal factor

Peripartum state Behcet disease lupus Other hypercoagulable states infection

N (%)

10 (32%) 3 (9%) 1 (3%) 3 (9%) 2 (6%)

Results

• 2-Clinical manifestations : Clinical manifestations included : -Headache :11 patients (35%) , -Intracranial hypertension:9 cases (29%) -Seizure: 6 cases (19%) -papillary edema : 5 cases (16%)

3-Imaging features:

Results

• 3.1- CT: CT performed in 10 patients, suspected the diagnosis in 9 cases (90%).

Figure 1:

CT axial slices performed before and after contrast media administration. Increased attenuation in the sagittal sinus in unenhanced CT slice. Note the empty delta sign on the contrast enhanced slice.

Results

• 3.2- MRI: MRI showed focal brain abnormalities in 45%. *Oedematous lesions: (4)13% *Hemorrhagic lesions: (27)87%

Figure 2: axial slice T1 WI.

Frontoparietal hemorrhage lesion secondary thrombosis to trasverse sinus

Figure 3:

Bilateral hemorrhagic abnormalities of frontal parenchyma. note the hyperintensity of the sagittal sinus wich is thrombosed.

Figure 4

: FLAIR WI and T1 WI axial slices. Oedematous lesion of brainstaim and right thrombosis.

the parietal parenchyma related to right transverse sinus

Results

• 3.2- MRI: Location of the thrombus:

Thrombus location

Transverse sinus Superior sagittal sinus Straight sinus Multiple locations Cortical veins

N (%)

6 (19) 5 (16) 1 (3) 14 (45) 5 (16)

Figure 5: S

ame patient of the figure 3.Flair WI Axial slices and T1 WI sagittal slice show an hyperintensity of the sagittal sinus. The angio MRI shows a filling defect of this sinus.

Figure 6:

T1 WI axial slices showing an hypersignal of the sagittal sinus.The angio MRI proved the thrombosis of the sinus.

Figure 7:

sagittal slices T1 WI showing an hypersignal sinus.The

of the transverse angio MRI shows a filling defect of the left transverse and lateral sinuses and jugular vein.

Figure 8:

axial, coronal and sagittal T1 WI with contrast media administration slices.

Sagittal and enhancement transverse after sinuses gadolinium administration thrombosis.

: Chronic dural sinus

Figure 9:

cortical veins occlusion.

Hyperintensities cortical and subcortical in frontal and parietal parenchyma on Flair WI.

Discussion

• • • • • Cerebral venous thrombosis is uncommon disorder.

Annual incidence is estimated of 2 - 7 cases per million in the general population .

Accuracy of the cross-sectional imaging methods for detecting abnormalities in the cerebral venous sinuses has been proven.

The knowledge of venous sinuses anatomy is necessery to establish the accurate diagnosis.

and the knowledge of the causal factors may help in the diagnosis and the choice of the treatment.

Discussion

• Venous sinuses anatomy (1):

Figure 9:

lateral view of MR venography, with a color overlay, demonstrates the dural sinuses: -superior sagittal sinus (green), -inferior sagittal sinus (light blue), -straight sinus (dark purple), -confluence of the sinuses (orange), -transverse sinuses (dark blue), -sigmoid sinuses (yellow). - internal jugular veins and bulbs (light purple).

Discussion

• • 1-Causal factors: Many causes of venous thrombosis have been described in the literature Systemic factors : - Related to general clinical conditions - More frequent (18/19 cases in this study) • - A peripartum state, and hypercoagulable states (protein S and protein C deficiencies, malingnancies...).

Local factors: includes local infections, intracerebral tumor developped near a venous sinus.

Discussion

• • • 2-Clinical manifestations: Headache :is the more frequent symptom found in 75-95% of the patients, in this study it was found only in 35% of cases.

Intracranial hypertension: occurs in 20%–40% of patients with cerebral venous thrombosis (29% in this study).

focal neurologic symptoms : including seizure, are more often seen in patients with parenchymal abnormalities.

Imaging features:

Discussion

3-Imaging features: • 3.1-Parenchymal abnormalities Parenchymal changes have been identified in 45% of patients: -Focal oedema depected in about 25% of cases in the litterature (12% in this study).

• • -Hemorrhage may coexist in the same region of oedema.

in some cases , the parenchymal changes may not correlate with the location of venous occlusion Parenchymal swelling (Sulcal effacement and diminished cistern visibility )without signal abnormalities may occur.

Imaging features:

Discussion

3.1-Parenchymal abnormalities: Diffusion abnormalities • • • The value of ADC allows to distinguish between vasogenic and cytotoxic oedema, wich have a prognosis value.

Patients with diminished ADC values (cytotoxic oedema) more often have parenchymal sequelae those with normal or increased ADC (vasogenic oedema) usually do not have sequelae.

Imaging features:

Discussion

3.2-Sinus abnormalities: Computerized tomography: unenhanced CT : hyperattenuating thrombus in the occluded sinus • contrast-enhanced imaging : the empty delta sign (a central intraluminal filling defect) Increased attenuation in the venous sinuses in unenhenced CT can also be seen if: -deshydration, -an elevated hematocrit level, -A subarachnoid or subdural hemorrhage.

Imaging features:

Discussion

3.2-Sinus abnormalities: • • • • MRI: Absence of a flow void with presence of abnormal signal intensity in the sinus Detect a thrombus on MR images, Sinus enhancement after gadolinium administration may be seen in chronic thrombosis.

The signal intensity of venous thrombi on T1- and T2 weighted MR images varies in the time (Table 3)

stage

Acute: 0-5 days (Desoxyhemoglobin) Subacute: 6-15 days (Methemoglobin) Chronic ≥16 days

Discussion

T2 WI signal

Iso intense Hyperintense

T1 WI signal

Hypointense Hyperintense

T2*

Imaging features: Hypo intense Hypointense Hypo/iso/hyper intense Hypo/iso/hyper intense Hypointense

Table 3:

Signal abnormality of the thrombosed sinuses according to the stage of the thrombosis

Conclusion

• • • • • The clinical manifestations of cerebral venous thrombosis vary, depending on the extent and the location, of the venous thrombotic process.

Causal factors are essentially systemic with peripartum state being the main cause. MRI plays a primary role in the diagnosis essentially Angio MR.

Brain abnormalities are inconstant. Anatomic distribution of thrombosed cerebral venous structures vary.

References

1-Leach JL, Fortuna RB, Jones BV, Gaskill-Shipley MF. Imaging of cerebral venous thrombosis: current techniques, spectrum of findings, and diagnostic pitfalls. RadioGraphics 2006; 26:S19– S43.

2-Dormont D, Anxionnat R, Evrard S, Louaille C, Chiras J, Marsault C. MRI in cerebral venous thrombosis. J Neuroradiol 1994;21(2):81–99.

3-Provenzale JM, Joseph GJ, Barboriak DP. Dural sinus thrombosis: findings on CT and MR imaging and diagnostic pitfalls. AJR Am J Roentgenol 1998;170(3):777–783.9.