Computed tomographic imaging of cerebral venous thrombosis

Cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT) is an entity which is not rare and can have devastating consequences if not diagnosed and treated in a timely manner. Although, the gold standard for diagnosing this entity is a catheter angiogram, magnetic resonance venography, by virtue of its non-invasiveness and detailed demonstration of the cerebral venous structures, has become the diagnostic modality of choice for this entity. However, in a resource-strapped country like Pakistan, CT scan remains the primary first (and sometimes the only) diagnostic modality used in patients with neurological problems. Therefore, it is important to recognize the signs of cerebral venous thrombosis on CT scan in order to initiate timely therapy. These CT findings of CVT are discussed in this paper. The CT findings of CVT have been divided into direct and indirect findings and the same have been described for noncontrast and postcontrast CT scans separately. A brief discussion of CT venography, which has come around as a promising tool for diagnosing CVT as a result of newer innovations in CT technology, is also included here.