[Cerebral venous thrombosis: Prospective etiological study of 26 Tunisian patients].

Purpose: The aim of the present study is to provide a clinical and etiological analysis of cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT) in the Tunisian population.

Methods: This is a prospective monocentric study including 26 patients referred to the Neurology Department of the Military Hospital of Tunis between January 2005 and January 2008. The diagnosis of CVT was confirmed in all patients by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and angiography. The clinical and biological risk factors of cerebral venous thrombosis were analyzed. The average follow-up was 18 months (range six to 30). The outcome was assessed clinically with the modified Rankin scale and with MRI.

Results: Mean age was 38.26 years, predominantly females (sex-ratio 4.2). The clinical onset was acute in 88.46% of the cases. Headache was the most common inaugural sign (84.6%). Lateral and superior longitudinal sinuses were the most commonly involved with equal frequency (61.53%). Parenchymal lesions were frequently noted (77%), especially hemorrhagic infarcts (46.15%). The causes of CVT were variable and usually combined (85%). Specifically, thrombophilia and obstetric-gynecological causes were predominant with a prevalence of 61.5 and 42.3%, respectively. Septic causes (38.46%) are also frequent, mainly oral infections (27%). Outcome was favorable in 77% of patients given heparin therapy, followed by oral anticoagulants and antibiotics as needed.

Conclusion: Our Tunisian population presented distinct clinical features compared with previous studies, including a high frequency of thrombophilia and gyneco-obstetrical disorders as well as infectious causes.