Prognosis of septic cavernous sinus thrombosis remarkably improved: a case series of 12 patients and literature review

PURPOSE: Septic cavernous sinus thrombosis (CST) is a rare complication of infections in the head and neck area. CST is notorious for its bad prognosis, with high mortality and morbidity rates described in literature. However, these rates are based on old series. We question whether the prognosis of CST is currently still as devastating. The primary purpose of this study is to assess the mortality and morbidity of CST. METHODS: Using the databases of all relevant specialties in our tertiary referral hospital, we collected all the patients treated for CST in the period 2005–2017. In addition, a PubMed search, using the mesh term ‘cavernous sinus thrombosis’, was performed. RESULTS: We found 12 patients with CST in the study period. Of the 12 patients, 11 survived and 9 recovered without any permanent deficits. Seven patients were treated with anticoagulation, and in none of the patients we saw hemorrhagic complications. In literature, older articles describe higher mortality rates (14–80%), but more recent articles report mortality and morbidity rates similar to our results. CONCLUSIONS: The prognosis of CST nowadays is more favorable than previously described. Anticoagulation seems to be a safe addition to antibiotic and surgical treatment, at least in patients without central nervous system infection.