Recurrent syncope due to refractory cerebral venous sinus thrombosis and transient elevations of intracranial pressure

P Larimer; M W McDermott; B J Scott; T T Shih; S N Poisson

doi:10.1177/1941874413493183

Recurrent syncope due to refractory cerebral venous sinus thrombosis and transient elevations of intracranial pressure

Neurohospitalist. 2014 Jan;4(1):18-21. doi: 10.1177/1941874413493183.

Authors

P Larimer¹, M W McDermott², B J Scott¹, T T Shih¹, S N Poisson³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
² Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
³ Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA ; Department of Neurology, University of Colorado, Denver, CO, USA.

Abstract

Chronic paroxysmal intracranial hypertension leading to syncope is a phenomenon not reported previously in patients with refractory cerebral venous sinus thrombosis. We report a case of paroxysmal intracranial hypertension leading to syncopal episodes in a patient with idiopathic autoimmune hemolytic anemia and venous sinus thrombosis. This case demonstrates that intermittent elevations in intracranial pressure can lead to syncope in patients with venous sinus thrombosis and emphasizes the importance of considering this potentially treatable etiology of syncopal episodes.

Keywords: Lundberg A wave; autoimmune hemolytic anemia; cerebral venous sinus thrombosis; intracranial hypertension.