ABSTRACT
Cerebral venous thrombosis [CVT] is a potentially life-threatening condition requiring rapid diagnosis and urgent treatment. Heparin anticoagulation is the time-honoured treatment, and is advocated in all cases of CVT, irrespective of etiology or presence of haemorrhage. The supportive evidence is largely observational; data from randomized placebo-controlled trials shows a nonsignificant trend favouring heparin. Current practice is to begin heparin [unfractionated or low-molecular weight] immediately on confirmation of the diagnosis. Newer anti-thrombotic agents such as ximelagatran may offer advantages over heparin and need to be investigated in the treatment of CVT
ABSTRACT
A case of young woman is described who developed clinical and MRI features of brainstem encephalitis in the setting of fever and cervical lymphadenopathy. Lymph node biopsy revealed histiocytic necrotizing lymphadenitis [Kikuchi-Fujimoto disease], which may reflect host response to an unspecified immune insult