This site is intended for healthcare professionals

account_circleSign in
Go to /sign-in page

You can view 5 more pages before signing in

Investigations

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

Authoring team

The investigation of cerebral venous thrombosis should include:

  • blood cultures for infection
  • lumbar puncture, which may show:
    • slightly raised CSF pressure
    • increased protein
    • pleocytosis, indicating a spread of infection to neighbouring leptomeninges
  • CT scan - so as to discriminate from cerebral abscess, which is difficult on clinical grounds alone. Delta sign - filling defect within the sinus following contrast administration - seen in superior sagittal sinus thrombosis.
  • MRI scan - now succeeding CT as an investigative mode
  • carotid angiography - if blockage of cavernous sinus, there may be an obvious filling defect in the venous phase after administration of contrast.

Create an account to add page annotations

Create a free account

Annotations allow you to add information to this page that would be handy to have on hand during a consultation. E.g. a website or number. This information will always show when you visit this page.