Cerebral venous thrombosis following the use of oral contraceptive: a case report

Abstract

Cerebral Venous Thrombosis (CVT) is very rare. The most frequent risk factor for young women is the use of oral contraceptives. A seventeen-year-old girl who had come down with a sudden onset of severe headaches, nausea, vomiting, and double vision referred to the emergency ward. She had been receiving combined oral contraceptive pill (OCP) in the past ten days for menometrorrhagia treatment. Computed Tomography (CT scan) proved normal, whereas Magnetic Resonance Venography (MRV) revealed evidence of sagittal sinus thrombosis and the patient was, as a result, treated with heparin. The patientchr('39')s symptoms abated and the recovery began 48 hours after warfarin had been initiated. In five days, the patient was discharged with a good general health and without a headache or double vision. Use of OCP is a major risk factor for CVT. In cases of headache in women taking OCPs, CVT should be considered among differential diagnoses. Physicians should take into account history of CVT and its risk factors when administering OCPs, and should inform patients of its symptoms.

Keywords

• cerebral venous thrombosis
• diagnosis
• risk factors
• oral contraceptive