Cerebral venous thrombosis in young adults. Experience in a stroke unit, 1988-1994

We report a series of nine patients younger than 45 years with angiographically-documented cerebral venous thrombosis, consecutively referred to our Stroke Unit from 1988 to 1994. Two of them were men and seven were women. Eight patients initially complained of headache, often associated with other symptoms of increased intracranial pressure. Seven patients had focal motor deficits and four suffered from epileptic seizures. None of the patients died. Only one patient remained severely disabled, whereas the others recovered self-sufficiency within two months. The use of oral contraceptives was closely associated with the occurrence of venous thrombosis in the women. Cerebral venous thrombosis is to be kept in mind in the differential diagnosis of stroke in the young.