Cerebral venous thrombosis associated with iron deficiency anemia

Abstract

A 55-year-old man presented with generalized seizures and postictal left hemiparesis. Computed tomography scanning of his head showed a low density area in the right frontal lobe. Cerebral angiography demonstrated a partial defect in the superior sagittal sinus and cortical veins, indicating the presence of cerebral venous thrombosis. He had bleeding from a peptic ulcer and the laboratory data revealed iron deficiency anemia concomitant with an elevation of D-dimer and thrombin-antithrombin III complex (TAT). After the anemia resolved with the treatment of the peptic ulcer and iron supplementation, the TAT and D-dimer levels were normalized, and the occluded veins were recanalized. In a cerebral venous thrombosis associated with iron deficiency anemia, treatment for the anemia may improve hypercoagulable state without antithrombotic therapy, although the long-term monitoring of TAT and D-dimer levels is required.