Cerebral vein thrombosis

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Classification according to ICD-10
I67.6 Non-purulent thrombosis of the intracranial venous system
ICD-10 online (WHO version 2019)

As cerebral venous thrombosis refers to the formation of a blood clot ( thrombosis ) in a vein of the brain (see also cerebral circulation ). Cerebral vein thrombosis is differentiated from sinus thrombosis , a thrombosis of the venous sinus durae matris of the brain. In contrast to arterial circulatory disorders , cerebral vein thrombosis usually does not cause sudden pain or neurological deficits.

frequency

Cerebral vein thrombosis is relatively rare and is responsible for 1% of all strokes .

Causes and Disease Development

Cerebral vein thrombosis can have various causes. Most often, a blood clot forms in a vein due to inflammation of the veins (thrombophlebitis) inside the brain. During pregnancy , the influence of hormones generally increases the risk of thrombosis (hypercoagulability of the blood), so that cerebral vein thrombosis is also more common. The risk of thrombosis is also increased by various metabolic disorders, infectious diseases and tumor diseases. When a cerebral vein is blocked - in contrast to a cerebral artery - it is not the blood supply that is obstructed, but the outflow of blood, so that the blood builds up. There is a swelling of the brain tissue. Since the brain can only expand slightly within the bony skull, the intracranial pressure increases . A sharp increase in pressure within the skull is life threatening.

Clinical picture and diagnostics

Cerebral vein thrombosis can manifest itself with headaches, nausea and vomiting, seizures, impaired consciousness, cranial nerve failure and paralysis. These changes are very similar to an ischemic cerebral infarction or a hemorrhage from a cerebral artery and can only be distinguished from one another by tomography such as CT or magnetic resonance imaging .

treatment

Affected patients must be treated in hospital as soon as possible. Treatment consists of dissolving the blood clot as early as possible. If the swelling lasts too long, the damage to the brain is irreversible.

See also

literature