Safety of pregnancy after cerebral venous thrombosis: A case-control study.

Background And Aims: Since pregnancy is considered one of the major risk factors of cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT), the safety of pregnancy in women of childbearing age and a previous history of CVT, is concerning in terms of prevention, family planning, and management. This study aims to estimate the prevalence of pregnancies among women of childbearing age with previous CVT, evaluate the pregnancy-associated risk of CVT recurrence, and explore the maternal and fetal outcomes among CVT women in comparison with pregnant women without a history of CVT.

Methods: A retrospective, case-control study was conducted at the Obstetrics Departments of King Fahad Medical City Hospital, Saudi Arabia. It included all women with a history of CVT diagnosed in the last 5 years (cases), as well as CVT history-free pregnant women (control). The prevalence of pregnancy after CVT was estimated and the prepartum and postpartum parameters of the two groups were compared.

Results: Fifty women with CVT and 100 controls were included. Among the 50 CVT cases, 28 (56.0%) have been pregnant. The incidence of pre-eclampsia was significantly more frequent in CVT women (7.1% vs. 0.0%,  = 0.047); however, only one case of deep vein thrombosis (3.6%) was reported in CVT patients versus none in controls ( = 0.219). CVT women delivered at a lower gestational age (mean [SD] = 36.9 [3.5] weeks) compared with controls (38.3 [1.4] weeks) ( = 0.006). No significant differences in other pregnancy or delivery outcomes were observed between the two groups.

Conclusion: More than half of women of childbearing age with a history of CVT opt for pregnancy after the CVT episode, with no major additional risk for pre or postpartum complications.