Cerbral Venous Thrombosis in Ulcerative Colitis and Review of the Literature

Abstract

A 30-year-old man with an eight year history of ulcerative colitis developed left occipital headache, mental confusion, dysphasia and right-sided weakness when his bowel disease was asymptomatic. Investigations revealed thrombosis of the cerebral sagittal sinus and left transverse sinus. The literature relating to cerebrovascular complications associated with ulcerative colitis is reviewed, and the possible pathogenetic mechanisms of venous thrombosis in ulcerative colitis are discussed. The importance of recognizing that venous thrombosis may occur in association with ulcerative colitis in remission is emphasized.