Sagittal sinus thrombosis (blood clot venous)

Face | Neurology | Sagittal sinus thrombosis (blood clot venous) (Disease)


Description

Sagittal sinus thrombosis, also called a cerebral venous sinus thrombosis, is a rare and potentially fatal type of stroke resulting from a blood clot that obstructs the flow of venous blood away from the brain through one of the intracranial sinuses.

Symptoms are similar to the more common conventional stroke, but can be less severe and therefore more difficult to diagnose. Treatment follows the typical course of any blood clot, with some cautionary differences accounting for a sinus’s proximity to the brain. There are three types of sinus thrombosis: cavernous sinus thrombosis (CST): The cavernous sinuses are the most centrally located of the dural sinuses. Their irregular shape and location at the base of the skull make them a primary target for infection.

Causes and Risk factors

CST is often the result of bacterial infection, trauma, ear infection, or infection of the maxillary teeth; lateral sinus thrombosis: This type of clot is usually associated with bacterial infections in the mastoid sinus. Antibiotic treatments have made this type of clot uncommon; superior sagittal sinus thrombosis: Multiple veins empty into the sagittal sinus, making it the largest venous channel in the brain. Because of its size, clots here are rare.

Diagnosis and Treatment

Treatment for a sagittal sinus thrombosis usually involves anti-coagulant medication, unless there is concern that the resulting “thinned” blood presents risk of hemorrhaging elsewhere. If ineffective, a more targeted approach to thrombolysis, the breakdown of a thrombus, can be attempted. ...