We report a case of a 23-year-old male, known case of Down’s syndrome, who presented to our Emergency Department with a complaint of severe headache for three days. It was accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and confusion. There was no history of trauma, seizures, loss of consciousness, change in vision, or relevant signs of virus infection. He was not on any regular medications. His medical background included surgical closure of ventricular septal defects in his childhood. There was no past medical or family history of coagulopathies.\nOn examination, his Glasgow coma score was 14, with normal vital signs. On neurological examination, the patient was confused, with dense right-sided hemiparesis. Liver function test, prothrombin time, partial thromboplastin time, and international normalized ratio were all within normal range. The brain CT scan revealed left-sided subacute SDH with a 12 mm midline shift and uncal herniation ().\nThe patient underwent emergent left-sided craniotomy and SDH evacuation. The blood evacuated was a mixture of dark stained blood and clots. Post-surgery, the patient’s consciousness level returned to normal, and he regained full power in all limbs. His post-operative CT scan showed optimal evacuation of the left-sided hematoma. There was also a new finding of a small right-sided SDH in the parietal region with no significant mass effect (). The CT scans review showed hyperdense areas in the transverse and sigmoid sinus; this raised suspicion of thrombosis. Magnetic resonance venography (MRV) confirmed the diagnosis of CVST in the right transverse and sigmoid sinuses with loss of flow signal ().\nClinically, the patient made an excellent post-operative recovery. After the diagnosis of CVST, we obtained neurology opinion and considered it risky to commence therapeutic anticoagulation in the early post-operative phase. He was started on a prophylactic dose of low molecular heparin. The patient was discharged home one week after surgery. Subsequently, he was readmitted electively two weeks later and was commenced on Apixaban. He was followed up regularly in outpatients and was asymptomatic.\nThe patient re-presented three months later complaining of a headache and recurrent vomiting, with normal consciousness levels. His repeat brain CT showed recollection of hematoma in the left subdural space (). An updated MRV revealed an interval shrinkage of the thrombus in the right sigmoid venous sinus; however, the reduced flow was seen through the sinus. The medical decision was to stop the anticoagulation, and the patient underwent reopening of the left-sided craniotomy and evacuation of the recurrent SDH. He recovered well after surgery, and we elected not to restart anticoagulation and follow-him clinically.\nThe patient remains clinically well. Interval MRI and MRV scans at six months show complete resolution of the SDH, with residual partial thrombosis of the right sigmoid sinus; however, the sinus is patent, and the venous flow is restored ().
A 40-year-old female presented to an emergency in altered sensorium with right hemiplegia with a history of a severe headache and multiple episodes of vomiting 1 day prior to admission. She was on oral contraceptives for last 2 years. Her Glasgow Coma Scale at admission was E1M3V1 and left pupil was dilated and not reacting to light. Computed tomography (CT) of head revealed venous infarct in left temporo-occipito-parietal region with linear area of hemorrhage within it with large left fronto-temporo-parietal acute subdural hematoma with midline shift of 9 mm toward right side with subfalcine herniation with descending transtentorial herniation with sub-arachnoid hemorrhage in the left parietal and occipital sulci with diffuse cerebral edema [].\nCT venography revealed thrombosis in superior sagittal sinus extending to adjacent cortical veins []. She was immediately taken for surgery, and a left fronto-temporo-parietal decompressive craniectomy was performed with the evacuation of acute subdural hematoma and lax duroplasty. However, she continued to deteriorate in the postoperative period and died on the first postoperative day.