Cerebral vein thrombosis after an intrathecal glucocorticoid injection

We report two cases of cerebral venous thrombosis that occurred after an intrathecal glucocorticoid injection for common lumbosciatic syndrome. The patients were two females, aged 34 and 47 years, who developed typical post-lumbar puncture headache. The manifestations leading to the diagnosis of cerebral venous thrombosis were status epilepticus in one case and persistent headache in the other. Both patients were using oral contraceptives. Grynblat et al. (Rev Rhum [Engl Ed] 1995; 62: 691) recently reported two cases in young women of cerebral venous thrombosis after intrathecal administration of a glucocorticoid or an iodinated contrast agent. These cases are useful reminders that intrathecal glucocorticoid injections can be followed by cerebral venous thrombosis, and that younger women may be at increased risk for this complication.