Critical Prognostic Factors in Cerebral Venous Sinus Thrombosis: An Observational Study

BACKGROUND: Cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST) presents with a wide variety of neurological symptoms in various combinations and has a high mortality rate of up to 50%.

Recent advances in neuroimaging and therapeutic interventions have brought it down to 10%–20%.

The study aims to identify critical prognostic factors associated with poor outcomes in patients with CVST.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: All cases of CVST aged >18 years from July 2015 to July 2020 who were not terminally ill and bedridden before the illness were evaluated at the entry point for various risk factors and after 30 days for outcome assessment with the modified Rankin scale (mRS).

The outcome was dichotomized, applying mRS <3 as a good outcome, and analyzed with the Chi-square test or the Fischer's exact test in a bivariate analysis to identify associated variables.

RESULTS: A total of 149 subjects were studied.

Glasgow Comma Scale (GCS) <9 (P<0.001), focal neurological deficits (P = 0.05), the presence of a mass effect (P<0.001), and the need for decompressive hemicraniectomy (P<0.001) were associated with poor outcomes.

Age, gender, diagnostic delay, seizures at onset, papilledema, parenchymal lesions, deep sinus involvement, and multiple sinus thrombosis were not associated with a poor outcome.

CONCLUSION: In our study, early diagnosis and treatment of CVST is associated with an overall favorable outcome even in the presence of traditional poor prognostic factors such as age, seizures at onset, deep sinus involvement, and multiple sinus involvement in the face of conventional risk factors.

A large country-wide prospective study might help in elucidating the poor prognostic factors.