The efficacy and safety of low-molecular-weight heparin and unfractionated heparin in the treatment of cerebral venous sinus thrombosis

OBJECTIVE: To compare the efficacy and safety of low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) and unfractionated heparin (UFH) in the treatment of patients with cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST), and to provide an appropriate treatment option in these patients. METHOD: This is a randomized double blind clinical trial conducted between December 2013 and December 2014. The subjects were selected among patients referred to Neurology Department, Imam Reza Hospital; affiliated to Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran. Fifty-two cases of CVST were included in this study and randomly divided into 2 groups. Twenty-six cases received LMWH and the other 26 cases received UFH. The primary outcomes include hospital mortality rate and neurologic deficits as assessed by the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS). The secondary end point was disability as measured by the Modified Rankin Scale (MRS). RESULTS: We observed the rate of mortality and neurological deficits and disability based on NIHSS, and the MRS did not differ between the 2 groups. CONCLUSION: The efficacy of LMWH and UFH in reduction of neurologic deficit and functional disability in patients with CVST are similar.