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Aetiology

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

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Primary, or aseptic, cerebral venous thrombosis is rare. It usually occurs in the very young, the very old, or the debilitated. Predisposing factors include:

  • anaemia
  • increased blood coagulability
  • hypotension
  • cachexia
  • dehydration

Causes of secondary thrombosis include:

  • most frequently, direct injury through a fracture of the skull or other trauma
  • spread of infection from a neighbouring site:
    • cavernous sinus and sagittal sinus thrombosis - from infection of the face, or of the sphenoid, frontal or ethmoid sinuses
    • lateral sinus thrombosis from mastoiditis
    • furunculosis and cutaneous sepsis
  • pregnancy, puerperium
  • oral contraceptive pill
  • dehydration
  • haematological disease, for example polycythaemia
  • malignancy - metastatic emboli
  • miscellaneous, including polyarteritis nodosa

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