Complications associated with cerebral venous thrombosis

Although CVT is associated with a good outcome in the majority of cases, it may be complicated by numerous unique and sometimes rare complications. The purpose of this review is to discuss the acute and chronic complications of CVT in greater detail. Awareness may lead to a more aggressive approach in those in which these complications are anticipated and perhaps avoided. The complications of CVT may be temporally divided into those unique to the acute stage and those that are associated with the chronic stage of CVT. They are venous infarction and haemorrhage, subarachnoid haemorrhage, a rapid progression and pulmonary embolism. In the chronic stages of CVT, one may encounter dural AV--fistula, progressive psychiatric disease, residual epilepsy and recurrence. Cerebral venous sinus thrombosis is associated with unique acute and chronic complications, some of them may be avoidable, e.g. pulmonary embolism. The chronic complications are rare but are potentially treatable, e.g. dural AVFistula nidus obliteration with intervention.