IH and Blood Clots

Cerebral blood clots (also known as cerebral venous thrombosis) are a cause of secondary intracranial hypertension. A clot can be the result of an injury, head trauma, a blood-clotting disorder, or even the use of certain medications, including oral contraceptives containing estrogen.

Blood-clotting abnormalities have been documented in a number of women with chronic idiopathic intracranial hypertension. These women tend to share other common characteristics including the diagnosis of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and being overweight and insulin-resistant. This group could hold important clues to the biological mechanism behind chronic intracranial hypertension and merits more investigation.

It’s important to rule out cerebral venous thrombosis as a cause of secondary intracranial hypertension. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), especially Magnetic Resonance Arteriograms (MRA) and Magnetic Resonance Venagrams (MRV), provide detailed pictures of the head and brain’s blood circulation. Cerebral angiography (venography) measures the degree of narrowing or obstruction in a particular vein, vessel or artery. Common treatments of cerebral blood clots include the use of blood-thinning drugs (anti-coagulation therapy) and in some cases, the use of stents and balloon angioplasty.