Background: In dural venous sinus thrombosis (DVST), the mortality ranges 5-30%. Deep venous system involvement and septic dural sinus thrombosis have a higher mortality rate. In acute occlusion, collateral flow may not be established, which may result in significant edema and mass effect. Endovascular interventions may be considered as a treatment option in appropriate high-risk patients with DVST.
Materials and methods: Eight patients with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-confirmed dural sinus thrombosis, who did not respond to the conventional standard medical treatment, were subsequently treated with mechanical thrombectomy using the Penumbra System®. In all cases, medical treatment including anticoagulants were continued following the procedure for a minimum period of 1 year.
Results: Recanalization of the dural sinus thrombosis was achieved in all 8 cases. There were no immediate or late endovascular-related complications. One death occurred due to an unrelated medical event. At 6 months, there was notable improvement in the modified Rankin Score (mRS), with 5/8 (62%) patients achieving mRS of 2 or less. The follow-up ranged between 3 months and 26 months (mean: 14.5 months), and there were no new neurological events during the follow-up period.
Conclusion: Cerebral venous sinus thrombosis is a rare but life-threatening condition that demands timely diagnosis and therapy. In cases of rapidly declining neurological status despite standard therapy with systemic anticoagulation and anti-edema measures, mechanical thrombectomy could be a lifesaving and effective option. In this study, good outcomes were observed in the majority of patients at long-term follow up.
Keywords: Dural sinus thrombosis; neurointervention; recanalization; thrombectomy.