Cerebral venous thrombosis: clinical outcome and prognostic factors in 111 patients

Introduction: The cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT) clinical evolution is quite variable from complete recovery to death. Some European series and a multicenter study had identified prognostic factors related to CVT prognosis. The identification of these factors is important for the best therapeutic decision to patients. This study aims to identify the prognostic factors enrolled in clinical evolution of 111 patients with CVT in a prospective outcome clinical trial during two years. Subjects and Methods: One hundred and eleven patients were prospective followed with the diagnosis of CVT since acute phase diagnosis, confirmed by brain MRI and/or brain angiography (MRA , CTA or digital angiography). Information about clinical features and follow-up were filled on a clinical form. 96% of the patients were anticoagulated on heparin followed by warfarin treatment. The patients were investigated to predisposing factors to CVT. The clinical evaluation was accessed by the modified Rakin scale (mRs) after 3, 6, 12 and 24 months, considering patients with good outcome when mRs < 1 and poor outcome when mRs > 2. The acute phase clinical features, laboratory and imaging data were compared as possible prognosis factors beyond univariate 2 test and the factors with statistical significance (p<0,1) and then analyzed by logistic regression adjusted and Odds Ratio values (confidence interval CI=95%). Results: The mean age of the patients was 35 years, 72% were women, and 40% were African Brazilian. The main clinical features observed were: headache 97%, focal sign 47%, epileptic seizure 40%, isolated ICH syndrome 40% and altered mental status 28%. All the patients were investigated to predisposing factors; 75% of the women were on oral contraceptive, 31% of the patients presented hereditary thrombophilia, 13 % antiphospholipid syndrome, 6% presented vasculitis, 25% other protrhrombotic state, 7% presented some local feature (arterialvenous malformation or infection) and 5%...