Cerebral venous thrombosis in pregnancy: the role of protein S deficiency.

We report a 20 year-old, 28 week-pregnant woman, who developed superior sagittal sinus thrombosis, associated with a decreased free protein S level. Her father, who had been a stroke victim, had also significantly lower level of protein S. In very rare cases, a congenital or acquired protein S deficiency leads to cerebral venous thrombosis. The detection of such abnormalities has major practical consequences for the long-term management of patients to prevent further thrombotic episodes.