[Changes in clinical characteristics and treatment of cerebral venous and sinus thrombosis: analysis of 35 patients admitted in Peking Union Medical College Hospital]

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the differences in etiology, symptoms, treatment, and prognosis between the patients with cerebral venous and sinus thrombosis (CVST) before December 31 2000 and those after that date.

Methods: The etiology, symptom, treatment, and prognosis of the 35 CVST patients admitted to Peking Union Medical College Hospital (PUMC) from January 1 1991 to December 31 2000 (Group A, n = 16) and those admitted from January 1 2000 to May 31 2007 (Group B, n = 19) were analyzed and compared.

Results: (1) The first two common causes were infection and hematological disease in Group A, while the first two common causes were immune disease and hematological disease in Group B. (2) The common symptoms and signs and positive rates were as follows: headache (86%), seizures (34%), focal neurological deficits (40%), vision deficits (43%), altered consciousness (31%), and papilloedema (60%) without significant differences between these 2 groups. The positive rates of the common symptoms and signs during discharge were as follows: headache (77%), altered consciousness (73%), seizures (67%), focal neurological deficits (57%), vision deficits (43%), and altered consciousness (31%) without significant differences between these 2 groups. (3) 38% of the patients in Group A (n = 6) received anticoagulation therapy, a rate significantly lower than that of Group B (79% , n = 19) (P < 0.05). Four patients in Group B received thrombolytic therapy.

Conclusion: The etiological constituents of CVST patients admitted in PUMC has changed, the weight of infection has declined and that of the immune disease has risen. The spectrum of signs remains unchanged; however, the rate of anticoagulation has ascended.