This study presents a large multicenter cohort of children with cerebral venous thrombosis from 5 centers in the United States and analyzes their clinical findings and risk factors. Seventy patients were included in the study (25 neonates, 35%). The age ranged from 6 days to 12 years. Thirty-eight (55%) were younger than 6 months of age, and 28 (40%) were male. Presenting features included seizures (59%), coma (30%), headache (18%), and motor weakness (21%). Common neurological findings included decreased level of consciousness (50%), papilledema (18%), cranial nerve palsy (33%), hemiparesis (29%), and hypotonia (22%). Predisposing factors were identified in 63 (90%) patients. These included infection (40%), perinatal complications (25%), hypercoagulable/hematological diseases (13%), and various other conditions (10%). Hemorrhagic infarcts occurred in 40% of the patients and hydrocephalus in 10%. Transverse sinus thrombosis was more common (73%) than sagittal sinus thrombosis (35%). Three children underwent thrombolysis, 15 patients received anticoagulation, and 49 (70%) were treated with antibiotics and hydration. Nine (13%) patients (6 of them neonates) died. Twenty-nine patients (41%) were normal, whereas 32 patients (46%) had a neurological deficit at discharge. Seizures and coma at presentation were poor prognostic indicators. In conclusion, cerebral venous thrombosis predominantly affects children younger than age 6 months. Mortality is high (25%) in neonatal cerebral venous thrombosis. Only 18 (25%) patients were treated with anticoagulation or thrombolysis.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.