Cerebral thrombophlebitis in three patients with probable multiple sclerosis - Role of lumbar puncture or intravenous corticosteroid treatment

We report 3 cases of young patients, 2 women and 1 man, who presented a cer ebral venous thrombosis following intravenous treatment with high doses of corticosteroids. All of them presented a probable multiple sclerosis accord ing to clinical, biological (CSF) and MRl criteria and were treated for the first time by a bolus of 1,000 mg of methylprednisolone OD during 5 days. All the usual causes of cerebral venous thrombosis were systematically excl uded in all of them. The role of corticosteroid treatment in cerebral throm bophlebitis is discussed. All of them underwent a lumbar puncture a few day s before corticosteroid treatment and the relationship between lumbar punct ure and cerebral thrombophlebitis is also discussed. Cerebral venous thromb osis associated with corticosteroid treatment has rarely been reported. The relationship between corticosteroids and venous thrombosis has already bee n suggested but has never been clearly understood.