[Review of the neuroradiological diagnosis of cerebral venous thrombosis]. / Actualización en el diagnóstico neurorradiológico de la trombosis venosa cerebral.

Cerebral venous thrombosis is an uncommon entity with multiple causes. It must be diagnosed quickly to enable early treatment, avoid severe complications, and improve the patient's prognosis. MRI combined with MR venography is the best diagnostic approach. However, the clinical presentation is usually encountered in the emergency department, so cranial CT combined with CT venography is often the best way to establish the diagnosis because it has high sensitivity for the identification of the cerebral veins and sinuses. Although color-coded transcranial duplex sonography does not play a role in the initial diagnostic work-up, it is useful in the follow-up. We describe the distribution of the territories of venous drainage, analyze the usefulness of the different neuroradiological modalities, analyze the direct and indirect signs of central venous thrombosis, and discuss strategies to avoid the diagnostic pitfalls in patients with clinical suspicion of venous thrombosis.