Prevalence of Dural Sinus Thrombosis in Female Patients Presenting to Emergency Department

Abstract

Background: Dural sinus thrombosis is an uncommon but clinically important form of cerebral venous thrombosis that predominantly affects young women and may present with nonspecific emergency neurological symptoms. Objective: To determine the prevalence of imaging-confirmed dural sinus thrombosis among female patients presenting to the emergency department with symptoms suggestive of cerebral venous thrombosis and to describe associated clinical, risk-factor, and radiological patterns. Methods: This prospective observational study was conducted in the emergency department of Lady Reading Hospital, Peshawar, from March to August 2024. Female patients aged 18–50 years with suspected cerebral venous thrombosis were consecutively enrolled. Diagnosis was confirmed using magnetic resonance venography or computed tomography venography. Demographic data, presenting symptoms, risk factors, symptom duration, and radiological findings were analyzed using SPSS version 26. Results: Among 120 suspected cases, 28 were diagnosed with dural sinus thrombosis, giving a prevalence of 23.3%. The mean age was 29.84 ± 8.72 years. Headache was the most common symptom (80.0%), followed by vomiting (60.0%) and seizures (40.0%). Pregnancy or puerperium was the leading risk factor among confirmed cases (42.9%) and showed significant association with thrombosis (p = 0.02). Superior sagittal sinus involvement was most frequent (71.4%), and multiple sinus involvement occurred in 64.3%. Conclusion: Dural sinus thrombosis was a clinically meaningful finding among suspected female emergency presentations, especially in reproductive-age women with pregnancy-related risk exposure.