Thrombosis and recanalization of straight sinus.

ABSTRACT

We describe a case of a 14-year-old boy who presented to the emergency department with nausea, vomiting, headache, and mental status changes. Noncontrast computed tomography scan of the brain in the emergency department revealed bilateral thalamic and striatocapsular infarcts. The patient was diagnosed with possible thrombosis of the thalamostriate veins, which was confirmed with urgent magnetic resonance venography (MRV). Magnetic resonance venography revealed that the thrombosis was extended to the straight sinus and the internal cerebral veins. Thrombosis of the straight sinus in children results in a rare stroke with inconsistent clinical manifestations, depending on collateral venous circulation of the thrombosed sinus. The diagnosis is quite difficult, especially when symptoms are nonspecific and variable. Timely diagnosis, based on the decision of performing emergency magnetic resonance imaging and MRV, followed by the administration of anticoagulation therapy may reverse this condition as in our patient who made an excellent recovery.