Cerebral venous thrombosis as a rare cause of subarachnoid hemorrhage: case report and literature review

Abstract

We report a 48-year-old woman presenting with subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) as the first manifestation of superior sagittal sinus thrombosis. In a literature review of 73 cases, SAH associated with cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT) was usually seen at the cerebral convexities. SAH was adjacent to thrombosed venous structures; therefore, the most possible explanation seems to be the rupture of cortical veins due to extension of thrombosis. Computed tomography (CT) was effective for diagnosis of CVT in only 32% of the cases. CVT should be considered when SAH is limited to cerebral convexities and magnetic resonance (MR) imaging with MR venography should be performed.

Keywords: Cerebral venous thrombosis; Headache; MR venography; Subarachnoid hemorrhage.