Reversible anomia and cerebral venous thrombosis: a case report and review of the literature

BACKGROUND: Cerebral venous thrombosis is a rare form of venous stroke with diverse clinical manifestations. Word-finding difficulty (anomia) is rarely reported in patients with cerebral venous thrombosis. CASE PRESENTATION: We report a 30-year-old right-handed Ethiopian female patient, who presented with global headache associated with a new onset word-finding difficulty of 2 weeks duration. The headache was not responsive to over-the-counter medications. She reported blurring of vision and nausea. Two months previously, she gave birth to a dead fetus. On neurological assessment, the patient was fully conscious and oriented, with a Glasgow coma score of 15/15, and cranial nerves, motor, and sensory examinations were unremarkable. Examination of fundus showed grade 2 papilledema bilaterally. Language assessment showed normal fluency, compression, naming, reading, and repetition. Naming was assessed using a 60 second word generating test, which indicated anomia. Brain magnetic resonance imaging showed left temporoparietal ischemia, magnetic resonance venography showed thrombosis of the left transverse, sigmoid sinus, and corresponding cortical veins. She was started on warfarin 5 mg daily for 6 months and showed significant resolution of symptoms, including the anomia. CONCLUSION: The present case describes a young female patient with reversible anomia as a complication of cerebral venous thrombosis. The case also highlights the importance of timely diagnosis and treatment of cerebral venous thrombosis for a benign prognosis.