Magnetic Resonance Venography Proving its Utility and Standard over Clinical Findings in Diagnosing Cases of Cerebral Venous Thrombosis - A Case Series

Introduction: Cerebral venous thrombosis is an uncommon disorder commonly seen in young, earlier this incidence was likely underestimated before the introduction of much accurate & non-invasive imaging modality. Now it has estimated that five to eight cases may be seen per year at a single tertiary-care center. Accurate and prompt diagnosis of cerebral venous thrombosis is crucial; because timely and appropriate therapy can reverse the disease process and significantly reduce the risk of acute complications and long-term sequelae. Since the possible causes and clinical manifestations of thrombosis are multiple and varied, imaging plays a primary role in the diagnosis. A wide range of cross-sectional imaging methods and venographic techniques can be used to detect abnormalities in the brain parenchyma as well as the cerebral veins and venous sinuses. Materials and Methods: In this study so far 50 patients have been prospectively taken with suspicion of intracranial vascular lesions & were referred to radiology department for MRI Brain with venography irrespective of age and sex. The study has been conducted taking up 50 patients as per the eligibility criteria with written informed consent. Siemens Magnetom Essenza 1.5 Tesla machine was used for the study. Multi-sequential study in coronal, sagittal and axial sections was taken. Results: This study provides a survey of common clinical findings in suspected cases of cerebral venous thrombosis and in several other disorders that may include a venous thrombotic process as a component. The normal venous anatomy has also been reviewed and potential pitfalls related to image interpretation are described. Conclusion: Finally it was concluded from this study, that majority of the patients diagnosed on MR imaging; were seen to be affected with intra-cerebral veins thrombosis. This study proves MR Venography as standard modality in establishing the early diagnosis of CVT in correlation with non-specific clinical findings.