Cerebral sinus venous thrombosis in traumatic brain injury

• Main Authors: Christina Mueller-Hoecker, Urs Pietsch
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: PAGEPress Publications 2016-04-01
• Series: Emergency Care Journal
• Subjects: Thrombosis; Trauma; Intensive care
• Online Access: http://www.pagepressjournals.org/index.php/ecj/article/view/5441

A 36-year-old, healthy man was admitted to the emergency department with a traumatic brain injury with an injury severity score of 25 points. The head computed tomography revealed a subarachnoidal, epidural hemorrhage as well as a fracture of the occipital calotte. Intracranial pressure (ICP) management was installed according to the LUND concept. In the following scan an angiography revealed a thrombosis of the sinus sigmoideus and transversus. Located next to the fractured skull, the thrombosis was highly likely traumatic, caused by the head trauma. As there was only a little congestion of the blood flow, no lysis or thrombectomy was performed. To lower ICP, a craniectomy was performed. After seven days, mechanical ventilation was terminated. Four days later the patient was already stable enough to be discharged from the surgical itensive care unit.