Thrombosis of the cerebral venous sinus, or cerebral venous thrombosis, is one of the rarest forms of stroke, occurring on average in 0,5 to 3 % of patients, predominantly those of a young age. Given the variety of clinical manifestations, the low incidence rate and the specific nature of diagnostic markers, this condition is not usually the first one a doctor would suspect. It was therefore decided to conduct a survey amongst doctors of various specialities to assess their level of awareness regarding cerebral venous sinus thrombosis.

A total of 69 doctors aged between 25 and 71 took part in the survey. Among them were 44 neurologists, of whom 31 worked in hospitals and 13 in outpatient clinics; 10 were general practitioners; and 15 were doctors from other specialities. During the survey, participants were asked to select the correct answer to five questions from a choice of 3–5 statements. The questions covered the definition of the condition, the clinical presentation, gender-related factors, and methods of diagnosis and treatment of cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT).

More than half of all doctors surveyed (55,07 %) correctly identified the definition of cerebral venous thrombosis. Regarding awareness of the clinical variability of cerebral venous sinus thrombosis, 68,12 % of respondents demonstrated a good level of knowledge. It should be noted that 62,32 % of respondents were also aware of the higher incidence rate among females. According to the survey, the majority of doctors opted for a comprehensive approach in both diagnosis and treatment (34,78 % and 44,93 % respectively). However, only 31,88 % of doctors correctly identified the most optimal method for verifying central venous pressure, namely magnetic resonance imaging with intravenous contrast. Furthermore, only 27,54 % selected anticoagulant therapy, the treatment method recommended by current evidence-based clinical guidelines.

The survey revealed that doctors have a reasonable understanding of the diagnosis and clinical features of DVT; however, only a third of respondents selected the diagnostic and treatment methods recommended by evidence-based medicine. This highlights the need for wider dissemination of evidence-based medicine recommendations on the diagnosis and treatment of CVD amongst the medical community concerned with this issue.