Evaluation of the relationship between epileptic seizures and type of parenchymal lesion in patients with cerebral venous thrombosis

Abstract

Introduction: Epileptic seizures occur in approximately 35%–40% of patients with cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT). The relationship between parenchymal lesions and epileptic seizures in CVT has been investigated, but the most associated types of parenchymal lesions have not been determined. This study, therefore, aimed to identify high-risk groups. Methods: A total of 159 patients were diagnosed as having CVT between 2015 and 2021 at our tertiary center. The risk factors for epileptic seizures after CVT were determined. Results: A total of 159 patients who were diagnosed with having CVT, 109 (68.5%) females and 50 (31.5%) males, were included in this study. The mean ages of the women and men were 41.20 ± 14.15 years and 43.60 ± 16.30 years, respectively. We found that superior sagittal sinus involvement (P = 0.019), sigmoid sinus involvement (P = 0.010), cortical vein involvement (P < 0.001), parenchymal lesion (P < 0.001), and the postpartum period (P = 0.003) increased the risk of epileptic seizures. When the significant variables associated with epileptic seizures in the patients were analyzed using binary logistic regression, the most significant variable was found to be the presence of parenchymal lesions. Conclusion: We found that the most significant variable for epileptic seizures after CVT was parenchymal lesions. Juxtacortical hemorrhages and nonhemorrhagic venous infarcts were the most common causes of epileptic seizures. CVT is a heterogeneous group of diseases caused by multiple aetiologies and may show ethnic and racial differences. For this reason, more precise information can be obtained with multi-center prospective studies in our population.

Keywords

• cerebral venous thrombosis
• epileptic seizures
• parenchymal lesions