Long-term neurological and psychiatric complications and vocational outcome after cerebral venous sinus thrombosis.

Abstract

Introduction: Cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST) is present in up to 1% of stroke patients and primarily affects young adults. The outcome is considered good in the majority of cases. However, long-term neurological, cognitive, and psychiatric complications may have a substantial impact on quality of life and employment status. We aimed to review those complications and vocational outcomes after CVST comprehensively.

Material and methods: A systematic literature review was conducted using PubMed and Embase, focusing on long-term neurological, cognitive, psychiatric, and vocational outcomes after CVST, with predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria.

Results: Persistent headaches were present in up to 59% of the CVST survivors, while nearly 11% of patients developed late epileptic seizures. Residual focal motor or sensory deficits, visual disturbances and recurrent CVST were also present at follow-up. About 14-34% of CVST patients revealed abnormal findings in neuropsychological testing, while up to 30% of patients suffered from post-CVST depression. Between 20 and 40% of patients did not manage to resume full-time work. Given the frequent occurrence of the complications mentioned above, it is crucial to include screening of headaches, cognitive abilities, and depression in the follow-up period to provide suitable intervention.

Conclusions: Analysis of literature revealed a high percentage of non-motor symptoms among survivors of CVST, such as head- -aches, seizures, cognitive deficits, and mental health issues, which impact patients' quality of life and functional independence.