Cerebral Sinus Venous Thrombosis and Prothrombotic Risk Factors in Children: A Single-Center Experience From Turkey

Cerebral sinus venous thrombosis (CSVT) is a rare cerebrovascular disease that may be life-threatening, especially in children.

The purpose of this study was to assess the clinical presentation, radiologic imaging, underlying conditions, treatment, and outcomes of children with CSVT.

In total, 23 consecutive children aged between 1 month to 18 years with CSVT, who were followed-up in Erciyes University Children's Hospital, were retrospectively enrolled in the study from January 2000 to December 2016.

The median age of the 23 children (13 female patients, 10 male patients) at initial diagnosis was 60 months (1 to 204 mo). The most common clinical manifestation was headache/irritability (n=9). The most common site of the CSVT was the transverse sinus (n=16). The most common prothrombotic risk factor was protein C deficiency (n=4). Underlying risk factors were detected in 15 patients. Genetic risk factors such as protein C deficiency, infections, trauma, malignancies, autoimmune hemolytic anemia, neurometabolic disorders, asphyxia, and cardiac malformations were common risk factors. Six children died. Multiple sinus involvement and parenchymal hemorrhages were seen in 4 and in 3 of the 6 children who died, respectively.

Protein C deficiency seemed to be relatively high in the presented children. Multiple sinus involvement and additional parenchymal hemorrhages represent poor prognostic features.