Cerebral Venous Thrombosis in Crohn's Disease: A Fatal Postoperative Complication

Cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT) is an uncommon but serious complication of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). We report the case of a 36-year-old woman with Crohn’s disease admitted to the digestive surgery department for a fistulized collection in the right iliac fossa. Surgical management was performed after failure of radiological drainage. On postoperative day 11, the patient developed severe headache followed by impaired consciousness. Brain computed tomography revealed thrombosis of the right lateral sinus extending to the ipsilateral internal jugular vein without evidence of cerebral infarction. The patient was transferred to the intensive care unit, intubated, sedated, and treated with curative anticoagulation and vasopressor support. Despite intensive management, the patient died 16 days postoperatively.Cerebral venous thrombosis is a rare but potentially life-threatening complication of inflammatory bowel disease, particularly Crohn’s disease. It may occur during disease flares, in the postoperative period, or even at the time of diagnosis.