CEREBRAL VENOUS THROMBOSIS IN REUNION ISL AND - REVIEW OF 20 CASES

Twenty cases of cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT) are reported. A signi ficant majority of patients were young women receiving oral contracept ives. In the puerperium CVT were frequent and delayed; the number of s eptic lateral sinus thrombosis was the same as in the occidental count ries. The clinical picture was not specific, and idiopathic intracrani al hypertension or pseudotumor cerebri were not frequent. Focal signs were the most frequent clinical manifestations. The clinical course, o f deep CVT was not as severe as previously reported. Due to the lack o f MRI, only CT scan was performed for all patients. More than 50 % sho wed direct signs of CVT (cord sign and delta sign). The diagnosis of C VT was confirmed by cerebral angiography. Early systematic treatment b y heparin was used with neither appearance nor aggravation of hemorrag ic infarcts being observed. The outcome was favorable in 60% of the ca ses, except for venous hemorrhagic infarction.