Abstract

Background: Dural sinus thrombosis is a rare cerebrovascular disease characterized by a complete or partial obstruction of the blood flow inside a dural sinus, promoted by an intraluminal thrombus. Traumatic brain injury is an uncommon cause, with an ill-defined prevalence.
Case presentation: A 40-year-old woman, who had taken oral contraceptives for 20 years, was brought to the emergency department after a traumatic brain injury. She was discharged after an unremarkable neurological examination and normal evolution of intracranial lesions. Twenty- five days later, she returned to the hospital with signs of intracranial hypertension. A computed tomography cerebral venogram revealed a left dural sinus thrombosis. The patient started anticoagulation therapy immediately.
Conclusion: Physicians caring for survivors of traumatic brain injury should consider CT venogram to rule out dural sinus thrombosis in patients with prothrombotic conditions and skull fractures over a dural sinus.

Keywords

case report, dural sinus, oral contraceptives, thrombosis, traumatic brain injury