06/01/2026
I see patients with headaches every day in clinic.
Most are primary headaches and harmless.
But this young man came with something different.
A new headache — he had never experienced headaches before.
No focal neurological deficit, yet something didn’t feel right.
The headache was persistent and disturbed his sleep.
He also had a history of recurrent uveitis (eye inflammation, sometimes linked to autoimmune conditions).
His initial MRI brain was normal, but because the headache remained unexplained, we proceeded with an MRV brain — which showed venous sinus thrombosis.
Venous sinus thrombosis is a blood clot in the veins draining blood from the brain.
It can cause headache, seizures, and in severe cases stroke or bleeding.
🔴 red flags which give us clues that it may not be a simple headache:
• New or different headache
• Persistent or worsening pain
• Headache disturbing sleep
• Headache in people with underlying conditions (e.g. autoimmune disease, cancer)
• Headache with neurological symptoms
Careful assessment helps us pick up the important ones early.
