Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Early initiation and maintenance of anticoagulation appears to be the mainstay of treatment of cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT), but the evidence supporting the intensity and duration of anticoagulation is limited. METHODS: We retrospectively collected data of patients admitted with CVT over a 5-year period, who had a minimum of 6 months of clinical follow-up and three or more prothrombin time international normalized ratio (INR) values spread over 6 months. Data collected included demographic, clinical, and radiologic parameters, anticoagulation status during the follow-up, complications, and clinical status at the last follow-up. RESULTS: We identified 204 patients, and the mean age was 34.4 ± 11.1 years. The majority had a provoked etiology (194, 95.1%) for CVT. After initial anticoagulation with unfractionated heparin, all patients transitioned to acenocoumarol or warfarin and this was maintained for a mean duration of 16.02 ± 11.2 months. Time in therapeutic range of INR 2-3 was only 5.1 ± 11.8 percent days and time spent in an INR of 1-1.5 was 68.7 ± 31.8 percent days. The average INR over 6 months was 1.37 ± 0.33. Duration of follow-up was 18.9 ± 13.25 months, and a good outcome was noted in 183 (89.7%) patients. Complications were seen in 29 (14.2%) patients. Multivariate analysis showed only the CVT grading scale score to be an independent predictor of good outcome. CONCLUSIONS: Maintenance of an intensive level of anticoagulation may not be required in patients with CVT and may be particularly true when a transient and treatable risk factor is the provoking etiology.