Cerebral Sinus and Venous Thrombosis Associated with von Willebrand Factor, Independently of Factor VIII

Previous studies have linked procoagulant factor VIII (F VIII) to an increased risk of venous thrombosis, whereas the relation between plasma von Willebrand factor (VWF) and venous thrombosis remains poorly understood. Elevated VWF levels are frequently found in patients with cerebral sinus and venous thrombosis (CSVT), always in association with high F VIII levels. We describe a patient with CSVT accompanied by elevated VWF levels without high F VIII levels.

A 23-year-old healthy man who had headache noticed difficulty in moving the right hand. On the following day, he lost consciousness and had partial seizures of the right hand. After regaining consciousness, weakness of the right extremities developed. The cranial angiogram confirmed occlusion of the superior sagittal sinus. The levels of VWF and F VIII were 238% and 101.9 IU/dl, respectively. We performed balloon percutaneous transluminal angioplasty and mechanical thrombectomy, leading to successful recanalization of the intracranial sinuses. VWF levels were decreased along with radiographic improvement, independently of F VIII.

VWF may contribute to CSVT and that inhibition of VWF activity potentially has a role in the future treatment of pathological conditions related to venous thrombosis.