Cerebral venous thrombosis in patients with nephrotic syndrome--case reports

Cerebral sinovenous thrombosis in children with nephrotic syndrome: systematic review and one new case

Aim

The aim of this review is to provide clinicians with characteristics of children with nephrotic syndrome and cerebral sinovenous thrombosis (CSVT).

Methods

We have reviewed 37 articles of pediatric cases and provided 1 new case. PRISMA guidelines were followed.

Results

Sixty-two patients were included in the review. CSVT was more common in males, usually occurred within 6 months of nephrotic syndrome onset and was found more often in outpatients. The superior sagittal sinus was the most common sinus affected. Non-contrast computed tomography was the most frequent radiologic study performed, with 30% of results negative for CSVT. Headache and vomiting were the most common symptoms while neurologic symptoms were less frequent. Anticoagulation treatment was strongly inconsistent throughout the literature. Thrombosis outcomes were favorable. The most common possible risk factors were corticosteroid treatment, proteinuria and hypoalbuminemia. Four children had a genetic predisposition diagnosed after thrombosis. No markers for anticoagulation prophylaxis seemed to be relevant for the majority of thrombosis occurring in outpatients.

Conclusion

Prophylactic anticoagulation does not seem reasonable to prevent CSVT. Knowledge of nonspecific symptoms and of nephrotic syndrome being a state of hypercoagulation and early use of appropriate radiologic study seem to be of major importance.

Cerebral venous thrombosis in an adult with relapsing minimal change disease

Minimal change disease (MCD) is a well-known cause of fulminant acute nephrotic syndrome (NS) and has been associated with thrombotic complications. We report the case of a 51-year-old woman with previously biopsy-proven MCD in remission who presented with headache and encephalopathy shortly after a relapse of the NS and was diagnosed with cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT) complicated by intracranial hemorrhage and midline shift. One month prior, she had been initiated on an oral contraceptive agent during remission of the NS. After initiation of systemic anticoagulation, her condition rapidly deteriorated, and she passed away before being able to undergo catheter-based venous thrombectomy. We conducted a systematic literature review and identified 33 case reports of adults with NS-associated CVT. The most common symptoms were headache (83%), nausea or vomiting (47%), and altered mental status (30%). 64% of patients presented at time of initial diagnosis of the NS and 32% during a relapse. Mean urinary protein excretion was 9.32 g/day and mean serum albumin was 1.8 g/dL. 91% of patients received systemic anticoagulation, and 19% died. The outcome in the remaining cases was favorable with only one report (5%) of residual neurological deficit. Of the available kidney biopsy results, MCD was the most common diagnosis (70%), raising the hypothesis that the fulminant acute onset of the NS might be a predisposing factor for this serious thrombotic complication. Clinicians should have a high index of suspicion for CVT in patients with the NS who present with new-onset neurological symptoms, including headache and nausea.

Case of cerebral venous thrombosis on a patient with background of nephrotic syndrome

Hypercoagulability is a well-described feature of nephrotic syndrome. The risk of developing a venous thrombus is higher at the time of diagnosis or shortly after. The resulting deep vein thrombosis involves the pulmonary, the deep veins of the lower limbs and renal veins, as described in the literature. We present a case of a man in his 20s with background of nephrotic syndrome, diagnosed at an age of 3 years old, with multiple relapses and on maintenance immunosuppression which is unusual, in two respects: First, the site of thrombosis was in the cerebral venous sinus and second, the onset of the thrombotic episode was years after the initial diagnosis. This case report also focuses on the perspective of the patient, who experienced a rare complication after more than two decades of living with the condition. In a literature search with the search words of 'nephrotic syndrome' AND 'cerebral venous thrombosis in adults', written in English and published from 1970 to 2/2021, we could only find a review article including 5 cases and 10 individual case reports, of which there were only 16 number of cerebral sinus venous thrombosis reported.

[Cerebral venous thrombosis as a complication of nephrotic syndrome--a case report and literature review]

We report two cases of cerebral venous thrombosis as a complication of nephrotic syndrome. No urine protein or kidney disease was noted in either case. The patients were diagnosed with nephrotic syndrome after admission to our hospital. Case 1: The patient was a 46-year-old man. He experienced headache and vomiting the day after he drank heavily. Contrast brain computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed a defect in the transverse sinus, straight sinus, and superior sagittal sinus. His blood was hemo-concentrated, and blood test results indicated high D-dimer and fibrinogen levels and decrease of antithrombin III. Case 2: The patient was an 89-year-old woman. After the diarrhea lasted suffering from ischemic colitis, she developed left hemiplegia and headache. Brain CT revealed hematoma in the subcortical region of the right frontal lobe and a high signal in the straight sinus. The superior sagittal sinus showed high-signal intensity on T1-weighted MRI and mild high-signal intensity on T2-weighted MRI. High fibrinogen levels were detected in the blood. Patients with nephrotic syndrome have a thrombotic tendency; both venous thrombosis and arterial thrombosis may occur. In the literature, the number of published cases of cerebral venous thrombosis was 10-fold that of cerebral artery thrombosis as a complication of nephrotic syndrome in individuals aged <20 years. In adults, however, the number of cerebral venous thrombosis was 2-fold that of cerebral artery thrombosis cases were reported. Nephrotic syndrome shows a thrombotic tendency, but cerebral venous thrombosis may develop as a result of another thrombotic factor. Management of life along with the conventional treatment of nephrotic syndrome is important.

Nephrotic syndrome

Nephrotic syndrome refers to excessive proteinuria, with associated hypoalbuminemia, edema, and hyperlipidemia. A diverse spectrum of disorders has been associated with nephrotic syndrome and related neurologic complications, although the relative infrequency of these cases limits conclusive associations. Neurologic manifestations of nephrotic syndrome may result from hypoproteinemia, hypercoagulability, hyperlipidemia, hypertension, amyloid deposition, hormonal changes, or electrolyte disorders. Neurologic diagnosis hinges on prompt recognition of this syndrome and rational therapeutic strategies are aimed at the underlying systemic disorder.

Cerebral venous sinus thrombosis risk factors

Cerebral venous sinus thrombosis is an uncommon disease marked by clotting of blood in cerebral venous, or dural sinuses, and, in rare cases, cortical veins. It is a rare but potentially fatal cause of acute neurological deterioration previously related to otomastoid, orbit, and central face cutaneous infections. After the advent of antibiotics, it is more often related to neoplasm, pregnancy, puerperium, systemic diseases, dehydration, intracranial tumors, oral contraceptives, and coagulopathies are the most common causes, but in 30% of cases no underlying etiology can be identified. It has been found in association with fibrous thyroiditis, jugular thrombosis after catheterization, or idiopathic jugular vein stenosis. Other factors include surgery, head trauma, arterio-venous malformations, infection, paraneoplastic, and autoimmune disease. This article presents a comprehensive review of cerebral venous sinus thrombosis etiologies.