Impact of Provoking Risk Factors on the Prognosis of Cerebral Venous Thrombosis in Korean Patients

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Little is known about the relationships between provoking risk factors, prognosis, and optimal duration of anticoagulation in patients with cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT), especially in Asians. We aimed to investigate whether the prognosis and required duration of anticoagulation in CVT patients differ according to the provoking risk factors. METHODS Prospectively recorded data from a tertiary medical center in South Korea were retrospectively reviewed. CVTs were categorized into three groups: unprovoked, those with possibly resolved provoking factors (PR), and those with persistent provoking factors (PP). The baseline characteristics, treatment, and prognosis of patients in these three groups were analyzed. RESULTS From 2000 to 2015, 61 patients presented with CVT: 19 (31.1%) unprovoked, 11 (18.0%) with PR, and 31 (50.9%) with PP. The patients in our cohort had a slight female predominance and lower frequency of oral contraceptive use compared to Western cohorts. Median follow-up and duration of anticoagulation were 35 and 8 months, respectively. Despite the similarities in baseline characteristics, deaths (n=3; P=0.256) and recurrences (n=7; P=0.020) were observed only in the PP group. The median intervals to death and recurrence were 9 and 13 months, respectively. Death was associated with underlying disease activity, not with CVT progression. Recurrences in the PP group were associated with lack of anticoagulation (P=0.012). CONCLUSIONS Although the prognosis of CVT is generally benign in Koreans, recurrence and death were observed in patients with persistent risk factors, suggesting their need for long-term treatment with anticoagulants.