Posttraumatic dural sinus thrombosis in children

Posttraumatic dural sinus thrombosis (DST) in children has rarely been described in the literature. Over a period of two years (1994-1996) we treated 131 children (n = 131) with minor or severe head-injury requiring a cranial computed tomography (CT) scan. DST was found in eight patients (6.1%), five with mild and three with severe cranial trauma. Diagnosis was suspected either because of a skull fracture crossing over a dural sinus or because of a hyperdensity at a dural sinus in the noncontrast CT scan. Enhanced CT scan was used to confirm DST. No specific symptoms related to DST were observed. DST was managed conservatively in all patients and recovery was uneventful. Recanalization of the sinus was documented to occur within three weeks to six months in six children. One patient showed a residual clot after five months and another did not have a follow-up CT scan. Based on our data we conclude that neither surgical nor medical intervention is indicated in traumatic DST in children.