Background: Cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT) is often overlooked when intra
cranial hypertension (ICH) is isolated, hence mimicking idiopathic intracra
nial hypertension (IIH). Objective: To describe the characteristics of pati
ents with CVT and ICH. Methods: We examined 160 consecutive patients with C
VT between 1975 and 1998. They were separated into two groups according to
their clinical presentation-isolated ICH and other neurologic symptoms and
signs. Results: Fifty-nine patients with CVT (37%) presented with isolated
ICH. Neuroimaging showed involvement of more than one sinus in 35 patients
(59%). Brain CT was normal in 27 of 50 patients (54%). Lumbar puncture was
performed in 44 patients and showed elevated opening pressure in 25 of 32 (
78%) and abnormal CSF content in 11 (25%). Etiologies and risk factors incl
uded local causes in 7 of 59 (12%), surgery in 1, inflammatory diseases in
18 (30.5%), infection in 2, cancer in 1, postpartum state in 1, coagulopath
ies in 11 (1.9%), oral contraception in 7 (12%), and remained unknown in 11
(19%). Anticoagulants were used in 41 of 59 patients (69.5%), steroids or
acetazolamide in 26 (44%), therapeutic lumbar puncture in 44 (75%), and sur
gical shunt in 1. Three patients had optic atrophy with severe visual loss,
1 died from carcinomatous meningitis, and 55 (93%) had complete recovery.
Conclusions: Central venous thrombosis (CVT) can present with all the class
ical criteria for idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH), including nor
mal brain CT with normal CSF content. Because the recognition of CVT has cr
ucial prognostic and therapeutic implications, MRI, with magnetic resonance
venography when necessary, should be performed in patients with isolated i
ntracranial hypertension. The outcome of CVT is unpredictable, and manageme
nt of patients with CVT should not differ whether they present with isolate
d raised intracranial pressure or with other neurologic symptoms and signs.
Therefore, isolated raised intracranial pressure from CVT differs in manag
ement from IIH and should be classified neither as "IIH" nor "pseudotumor c
erebri."