Cerebral venous thrombosis

Cerebral venous thrombosis is a blood clot of a vein in the brain. The clot causes blood to first collect in the vein before leaking into the brain tissues. 

How is cerebral venous thrombosis diagnosed and treated?



It’s more likely to happen if you have an increased risk of getting blood clots, such as if you’re pregnant, have certain genetic conditions or are taking medicines like oral contraceptives.

It’s also more common if you’re dehydrated or have widespread cancer.

If you have cerebral venous thrombosis, you may develop a headache that can sometimes feel really bad. For some people, this headache may come on gradually or suddenly (like you’ve been hit in the head).

You may also:

- feel or be sick
- have headaches
- have fits
- notice muscle weakness that affects different parts of your body, and struggle to speak or move
- faint or feel dizzy
- feel confused

## How is cerebral venous thrombosis diagnosed and treated?

Cerebral venous thrombosis is an emergency condition that needs urgent medical treatment. If you think you have it, call an ambulance immediately. If you can’t, ask someone nearby to call one for you**.**

A doctor will usually perform imaging tests, like a [CT ](/health-library/medical-exams/ct-scan)or [MRI scan](/health-library/medical-exams/mri-scan) to diagnose cerebral venous thrombosis. You may also need blood tests to check if your blood is clotting normally.

If you have cerebral venous thrombosis, you’ll typically be treated in the same way as someone who has had a [stroke](/health-library/conditions/stroke). More specifically, you may be given medication to thin your blood and medication for treating fits, if you’ve had one.

::: body-ad-desktop
zones:: 232632,232353,232640
types:: 163
disclaimer:: AD
typeFilter:: native_ad
adCount:: 1

:::


error

 There was an error when submitting your feedback – have a screen break then try again in a few minutes.

Oh no, something’s gone wrong

ANY COMMENTS OR SUGGESTIONS?

initial

This isn’t helpful

This isn’t relevant

Something is wrong

This isn’t accurate

Please select one.

loading

success

We're listening – we use your feedback to improve your experience, and make our content more helpful.

Thank you for your feedback

References

Dr Lauretta Ihonor

Dr Ann Nainan

Article information

All of Healthily's articles undergo medical safety checks to verify that the information is medically safe. View more details in our <a href="/safety" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">safety page</a>, or read our <a href="/legal/editorial-policy-principles" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">editorial policy</a>.

Cerebral venous thrombosis is a blood clot in a vein in your brain, which can lead to a stroke. 