Gender Differences in Risk Factor Profile and Clinical Characteristics in 89 Consecutive Cases of Cerebral Venous Thrombosis

Zoltan Bajko; Anca Motataianu; Adina Stoian; Laura Barcutean; Sebastian Andone; Smaranda Maier; Iulia-Adela Drăghici; Andrada Cioban; Rodica Balasa

doi:10.3390/jcm10071382

Gender Differences in Risk Factor Profile and Clinical Characteristics in 89 Consecutive Cases of Cerebral Venous Thrombosis

J Clin Med. 2021 Mar 30;10(7):1382. doi: 10.3390/jcm10071382.

Authors

Zoltan Bajko^{1

2}, Anca Motataianu^{1

2}, Adina Stoian^{2

3}, Laura Barcutean^{1

2}, Sebastian Andone², Smaranda Maier^{1

2}, Iulia-Adela Drăghici², Andrada Cioban², Rodica Balasa^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Neurology, University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Sciences and Technology Targu Mures, 540136 Targu Mures, Romania.
² Ist Neurology Clinic, Mures County Clinical Emergency Hospital, Targu Mures, 540136 Targu Mures, Romania.
³ Department of Pathophysiology, University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Sciences and Technology Targu Mures, 540136 Targu Mures, Romania.

Abstract

Gender has been shown to be an important variable in cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT) risk and significantly influences its clinical manifestations and outcome. The aim of our study was to investigate the gender-specific risk factor profile and clinical picture of this rare cerebrovascular disorder.

Materials and methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 89 consecutive cases of CVT at a tertiary neurology clinic in Târgu Mures, Romania, between June 2009 and January 2021 to analyze the gender-related differences in etiology, clinical presentation, and outcome.

Results: Women comprised 62.5% of the cohort. Females were significantly younger than males (37.3 years versus 48.8 years, respectively, p = 0.001), and the main risk factors were hormone related in 37.9% of the cases, followed by primary thrombophilia (34.4%), smoking (25.8%), obesity (17.2%), infections (17.2%), mechanical factors (17.2%), cancer (8.6%), systemic autoimmune disorders (8.6%), and hematological disorders (8.6%). In male patients, the main risk factors were smoking (41.9%), primary thrombophilia (29%), infections (22.6%), heavy alcohol consumption (16.1%), and venous thromboembolism in the medical history (12.9%). Frequency of headache was higher in females than in males (75.9% versus 67.7%), whereas frequency of coma (6.5% in males versus 1.7% in females) and dizziness (19.4% in males versus 10.3% in females) was higher in males. CVT onset was acute in 41.4% of females and 38.7% of males. The Rankin score at discharge was significantly lower in females compared with males (0.6 versus 1.6), reflecting a more favorable short-term outcome. Mortality was 6.4% in males and 1.7% in females.

Conclusions: CVT is a multifactorial disorder that has a broad spectrum of risk factors with important gender-related differences in clinical manifestation and prognosis. Female patients, especially those with hormone-related risk factors, have a more favorable outcome than male patients.

Keywords: cerebral venous thrombosis; gender; risk factor profile.