Cerebral venous thrombosis and miliary tuberculosis: a case report from Syria

Cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT) is a relatively common disease. Risk factors for CVT include pregnancy, cancer, autoimmune diseases, and hypercoagulation. Acute and chronic meningitis are also considered predisposing conditions for CVT. Cases of CVT associated with tuberculous meningitis and miliary tuberculosis (TB) are rare in the medical literature, and here the authors report the first case report from Middle East. CASE PRESENTATION: The authors present a 33-year-old female patient diagnosed initially with CVT to discover the presence of tuberculous meningitis and miliary TB. CLINICAL DISCUSSION: CVT is an urgent condition and the outcome is usually good when treated quickly. The mechanisms of TB causing thrombosis are endothelial injury, slow venous flow, and increased platelet aggregation. The clinical presentation of CVT can be confused and falsely attributed to TB Meningitis. CONCLUSION: Infectious causes of CVT should always be remembered, especially TB should be in mind in developing countries.