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Cerebral venous sinus thrombosis headache — SCE Neurology MCQ

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HardHeadacheCerebral venous sinus thrombosis headacheSCE Neurology

MR venography confirms cerebral venous sinus thrombosis in a patient with headache, seizure and papilloedema. What is the immediate disease-specific treatment?

Educational content. Not a substitute for clinical judgement or local policy.

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Correct answer: DBegin therapeutic anticoagulation for cerebral venous thrombosis

The best answer is “Begin therapeutic anticoagulation for cerebral venous thrombosis”. Cerebral venous thrombosis is treated with therapeutic anticoagulation even when venous haemorrhagic infarction is present, unless a specific contraindication exists; seizure and intracranial-pressure complications are managed concurrently. The alternatives “Use antiplatelet monotherapy for the venous thrombosis”, “Give systemic thrombolysis before standard anticoagulation”, “Use acetazolamide as the disease-specific antithrombotic treatment”, “Proceed directly to venous stenting without anticoagulation” are clinically adjacent possibilities, but they do not match the defining chronology, localisation, physiology, investigation result or UK management sequence in this stem.

Reference: National Clinical Guideline for Stroke: acute care: https://www.strokeguideline.org/chapter/acute-care/