[Sagittal sinus thrombosis as a rare cause of postpartum headache: a case report]

M Madrazo Delgado1, F J Redondo Calvo, S Gil Trujillo

  • 1Servicio de Anestesia y Reanimación, Hospital General de Ciudad Real, Tomelloso, Cuidad Real. merymad2003@yahoo.es

Postpartum cerebral vein thrombosis is a very rare entity (3-4 cases per million). Clinical manifestations vary, though persistent headache is almost always reported, meaning that differential diagnosis should be performed to rule out other causes of postpartum headache. Recognized risk factors for this disease are the prothrombotic state of pregnancy (third trimester), excess weight, and thrombophilia Accidental dural puncture, protein C and S deficiencies, factor V Leiden mutation, antiphospholipid syndrome, and the use of oral contraceptives have also been implicated. The diagnostic test of choice is magnetic resonance imaging, as it is convenient and harmless, though transcranial Doppler ultrasound can also be used. Pulmonary angiography is the gold-standard test. The treatment of choice is anticoagulant therapy with heparin (a treatment that is controversial, however, due to the high risk of rebleeding), followed by long-term treatment with antivitamin K drugs. We report a case of thrombosis of the upper longitudinal sinus associated with persistent postpartum headache and a history of a failed attempt at epidural puncture for analgesia during labor. The case posed interesting diagnostic questions.

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