Successful hybrid endovascular treatment for refractory cerebral venous sinus thrombosis in pregnancy: A case report

BACKGROUND: Cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST) in pregnancy was common and endovascular treatment (EVT) could be an effective and safe treatment for patients with severe and refractory CVST. However, the efficacy and safety of hybrid EVT (craniotomy + endovascular treatment) for CVST were unknown. We represented a rare case of hybrid EVT through the incision of the superior sagittal sinus in a pregnant woman with CVST who failed to EVT through the femoral vein pathway. CASE PRESENTATION: A 26-year-old woman, in her second month of pregnancy, complained of a headache for 5 days and aggravation with coma combined with convulsions for 2 days. She was diagnosed with CVST in the local hospital by digital subtraction angiography (DSA) and treated with anticoagulation. She had no history of illness and the biochemical tests were normal. Hybrid EVT (craniotomy + EVT) was attempted after failing to conduct EVT through the femoral vein pathway due to difficulty to reach the target cerebral venous sinus. Briefly, a small hole was made in the frontotemporal head to expose the superior sagittal sinus and a 6F sheath was inserted into 2cm of superior sagittal sinus incision and fixed on the scalp, after repeated aspiration by 5F intermediate catheter and balloon dilatation of stenosis in the right transverse sinus and right sigmoid sinus, the cerebral venous system got successful recanalization. No obvious complications were found and the patient recovered very well after the surgery. CONCLUSION: Anticoagulation was the standard treatment for CVST. EVT could rapidly restore venous flow and improve the prognosis for refractory and severe CVST. EVT by hybrid surgery through the superior sagittal sinus incision may be safe and effective for desperate patients with severe CVST.