Cortical venous thrombosis – a rare complication of tuberculous meningitis

Occlusion of the central veins and sinuses occurs owing to thrombus, thrombophlebitis, or tumours. Cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT) is less frequent than arterial thrombosis, but can produce a cascade of sequelae and may be fatal. The usual predisposing factors for CVT include infections, pregnancy and puerperium, hypercoagulable states, etc. Many infectious causes are related to CVT, but a review of literature showed only few cases related to tuberculosis. Vascular changes consisting of arterial narrowing with or without occlusion are frequently seen at autopsy in cases of tuberculous meningitis. We report one such case of tuberculous meningitis where the patient developed cortical venous thrombosis after 5 days of illness. She was treated empirically, initially, till confirmation of the diagnosis and later was put on antitubercular drugs along with prednisolone therapy and anticoagulation, which led to complete recovery. Thus, if treated aggressively and in time, tuberculous meningitis and its complications are completely curable.