A case of cerebral venous thrombosis presenting as acute reversible visual loss: a rarely reported association

Cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST) is not an uncommon cause of stroke but very often unrecognized at initial presentation due to lack of clinical suspicion and thus frequently left untreated. CVST is a potentially serious condition which manifests with diverse clinical manifestations, from isolated headache to focal neurological signs and even coma. CVST usually takes place either an inherited thrombophilia or any acquired hyperviscosity state and thus prompting anticoagulation was regimen as is the cornerstone of successful treatment. We describe a 47-year-old woman who presented with recurrent bouts of vomiting in the post-operative period and later developed cortical blindness and asymmetric limb weakness. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed hyperintensity involving bilateral parieto-occipital corticomedullary junction. MR venography showed signal void in the superior sagittal sinus. She was diagnosed as CVST and achieved complete recovery with anticoagulation therapy. Bilateral occipital infarction as a consequence of cerebral venous thrombosis is a rare cause of visual loss. Thrombosis in the superior sagittal sinus was related to her cortical blindness and weakness. This case illustrates that cerebral venous thrombosis should be considered in cases of occipital vascular lesions leading to acute painless loss of vision prompting anticoagulation therapy which can improve the outcome significantly. Dehydration could be considered as a risk factor for development of CVST in appropriate situations.