Prolonged Corticosteroid Use Leading to Cerebral Venous Sinus Thrombosis: A Rare Association

Partial or complete obstruction of blood flow in venous sinuses of the brain leads to a clinical condition termed cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST). In most diagnosed cases, CVST has at least one risk factor identified among many postulated, and it most commonly includes acquired or inherited prothrombotic conditions. Steroid intake for intentional weight gain is prevalent in the general population, especially among new-generation bodybuilders and athletes. Excess exogenous steroids have many adverse effects, and increasing the risk of venous thromboembolism is one of them. The role of these steroids in developing CVST among such individuals has not been reported frequently in the literature. We report a case of a young male with a history of chronic exogenous steroid intake to increase his body weight, who presented with clinical features of CVST.