A case of cerebral venous sinus thrombosis associated with Crohn's disease: Dilemma in management

Abstract

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is known to increase the risk of venous thromboembolism. Cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST) is a rare but important complication of IBD. Timely diagnosis, particularly in younger patients, requires a high level of suspicion in order to prevent potentially devastating complications such as hemorrhage or venous infarction. The paper presents a 44-year-old Caucasian woman with a previous history of Crohn's disease and deep venous thrombosis. Magnetic resonance imaging confirmed the diagnosis of CVST. Achieving therapeutic anticoagulation with warfarin was difficult, due to presumed pharmacological interaction between warfarin and 6-mercaptopurine. Clinicians should have a high index of suspicion for CVST when a patient with Crohn's disease presents with acute headache, and be aware of challenges related to medical management.