Cerebral venous thrombosis in inflammatory bowel disease.

TitleCerebral venous thrombosis in inflammatory bowel disease.
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2015
AuthorsDeFilippis EM, Barfield E, Leifer D, Steinlauf A, Bosworth BP, Scherl EJ, Sockolow R
JournalJ Dig Dis
Volume16
Issue2
Pagination104-8
Date Published2015 Feb
ISSN1751-2980
KeywordsAdolescent, Adult, Anticoagulants, Cerebral Veins, Child, Fatal Outcome, Female, Humans, Inflammatory Bowel Diseases, Intracranial Thrombosis, Male, Retrospective Studies, Young Adult
Abstract

Cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT) is a rare but devastating complication of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Here we describe six IBD patients with cerebral venous thrombosis. The patients presented with hours to days of headache and were found to have venous thrombosis on imaging. Four of the six patients had ulcerative colitis and two had Crohn's disease. All six patients were treated with therapeutic anticoagulation. There were two deaths; one patient became comatose and died despite anticoagulation while the other recovered well from the sinus thrombosis but died after a bowel perforation 3 weeks later. This case series demonstrates the critical need for early recognition of neurological symptoms in patients with IBD during disease flares. It is important to recognize the clinical signs in order to start anticoagulation expeditiously and improve neurological outcomes.

DOI10.1111/1751-2980.12212
Alternate JournalJ Dig Dis
PubMed ID25395041