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Case Reports
. 2022 Sep 4;14(9):e28772.
doi: 10.7759/cureus.28772. eCollection 2022 Sep.

Primary Sjögren's Syndrome Presenting as Cerebral Venous Thrombosis: A Rare Case

Affiliations
Case Reports

Primary Sjögren's Syndrome Presenting as Cerebral Venous Thrombosis: A Rare Case

Mohan Sonu Chandra et al. Cureus. .

Abstract

Sjogren's syndrome is a late-onset, slowly progressing autoimmune disease characterized by the destruction of the exocrine glands by lymphocytic infiltration, resulting in dry mouth (xerostomia) and dry eyes (keratoconjunctivitis sicca). Sjögren's syndrome may be associated with various autoimmune diseases, including systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, and systemic sclerosis. We report a case of a 34-year-old female who delivered a live baby 20 days ago. She presented in a postictal state after two episodes of tonic-clonic movements of limbs with altered sensorium with a history of headache for seven days. Further evaluation revealed that the subject had a history of multiple abortions and grittiness in her eyes. MRI showed signs of infarction in the left parietal lobe and magnetic resonance venography (MRV) suggested cavernous venous thrombosis. After an unwavering effort to rule out alternate causes, the rare correlation between primary Sjogren's syndrome and cerebral venous thrombosis was considered. Additional investigations were performed, which showed the patient to be positive for Anti SS-A (Ro52), Anti SS-B (La), and anti-centromere antibodies. The patient gradually improved with anti-edema measures and steroids and was discharged by day nine. We present this case to emphasize the neurological manifestation of Sjogren's syndrome, which may present as cerebral venous thrombosis.

Keywords: cerebral venous thrombosis; headache; keratoconjunctivitis sicca; multiple abortions; sjogrens syndrome.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Axial view of MRI DWI sequence showing diffusion restriction signifying infarction
MRI, magnetic resonance imaging; DWI, diffusion weighted imaging
Figure 2
Figure 2. Axial view of T2 weighted MRI depicting hyperintensity in left parietal lobe
MRI, magnetic resonance imaging
Figure 3
Figure 3. Axial view of T1 weighted MRI depicting hypointensity in left parietal lobe
MRI, magnetic resonance imaging
Figure 4
Figure 4. Magnetic resonance venogram depicting superior sagittal sinus thrombosis
Figure 5
Figure 5. Magnetic resonance venogram depicting thrombosis of left sigmoid and transverse sinuses

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