Risk of cerebral venous thrombosis in oral contraceptives pills users

Abstract

The aim of this study is to assess the relative risk of cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST) in Oral contraceptive pills (OCP) users compared with a control group of non-hormone users. Patients & methodsThis retrospective case-control, age – group matched study done in about two years and included 40 female patients and 30 control females, aged 30–50 years-with 50% of them above the age of 35 years. All patients diagnosed as CVST with the consumption of OCP were included in the study. The diagnosis is based on the MRI & MRV study. T1, T2, FLAIR &Diffusion weighted image. The MRV was done using the 2 D-TOF technique. ResultsThe MRI result was negative (no parenchymal changes) in 16 patients (40%), and positive in the remaining 60%; 12 patients (30%) showed haemorrhagic infarction only, represented by heterogeneous mixed hypo and hyperintesity in the brain parenchyma with brain edema and 8 patients (20%) showed non-haemorrhagic infarction in the form of low SI in T1WI and a high SI in T2WI and FLAIR and restricted diffusion on DWI, 4 (10%) patients showed a parasagittal high T2 SI indicating superior sagittal sinus thrombosis. The control group showed no parenchymal changes in four (20%) females, but showed hemorrhagic infarction in eight (40%) females, and non-hemorrhagic infarction in six (30%) females and parasagittal high T2 SI in two (10%) females. ConclusionThe risk of CVST increased more in women taking OCP than in non-hormonal users. To reduce the risk, Knowledge of it is of crucial importance.