Cerebral venous thrombosis

Key Points Cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT) is an important cause of stroke in young and middle-aged adults, with a sex ratio heavily skewed towards women Manifestations of CVT can be grouped into four distinct clinical syndromes: isolated intracranial hypertension, focal syndrome, diffuse encephalopathy and cavernous sinus syndrome First-line treatment for CVT is heparin, even in the presence of an intracerebral haemorrhage In a trial completed in 2017, endovascular therapy did not improve the clinical outcome of patients with severe CVT Mortality among patients with CVT has declined in the past few decades to ∼8–10%; although 80% of patients recover without physical disability, many experience residual chronic symptoms