Cerebral venous thrombosis Novel risk factors and advances in treatment

Cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT) is a severe disease that primarily affects patients younger than 50 years. In 2021, CVT was found to be a rare side effect of SARS-CoV-2 vaccinations, which caused a major public concern. This vaccine-associated condition, in which patients developed both thrombosis and low platelet counts, was named vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia (VITT). VITT mainly occurred in younger individuals and was more often reported in women and in high-income countries. Although mortality was initially reported to be very high, the mortality of CVT due to VITT declined over time. Of the patients who survived the acute phase of VITT, the outcomes were favorable. In this thesis, we also found that patients with CVT more often received a new cancer diagnosis in the years following CVT diagnosis compared to the general population. Therefore, extra vigilance for signs of cancer in patients who have had CVT is warranted. Finally, we found that direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) are an effective and safe alternative for vitamin K antagonists (VKAs) to treat CVT. The choice for either DOAC or VKA treatment should be a shared decision based on drug availability and the preference of patient and physician.