Bilateral thalamic infarction--a rare manifestation of dural venous sinus thrombosis.

Bilateral infarctions of the thalamus account for only a small fraction of ischemic strokes and carry a poor prognosis. These infarcts rarely have a venous etiology. A case secondary to straight sinus thrombosis is presented. Difficulties in considering the diagnosis and its radiological appearances are discussed. A simple imaging pathway including computed tomographic angiography and magnetic resonance imaging including a susceptibility-weighted sequence is presented in order to facilitate determination of the exact etiology in order to optimize therapy accordingly. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.