Looking Beyond the Bleed: A Case Report

Cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT) can be one of the most challenging diagnoses to make in a patient with an undifferentiated headache. A missed diagnosis of the condition can lead to catastrophic consequences, as seen in the case described here. There needs to be a high index of clinical suspicion for CVT as the diagnosis involves imaging modalities that are not frequently used in the emergency setting. This case report demonstrates how the classic avenues of headache workup can miss this diagnosis. It also illustrates how delayed diagnosis can present in the extremis and have unsalvageable outcomes.