Cytotoxic lesion of corpus callosum in cerebral venous thrombosis—a case report

Background Veiled by a myriad of monikers, there has been a growing recognition of cytotoxic lesions in the splenium of the corpus callosum as a distinct clinical entity. Despite the varied nomenclature, they all describe restricting callosal lesions on diffusion weighted magnetic resonance imaging with near-complete reversibility on therapy. The currently accepted terminology for these lesions is cytotoxic lesions of the corpus callosum (CLOCC). Only one case of CLOCC associated with cerebral venous Thrombosis has been reported in literature to date. Case presentation While these lesions have most commonly been linked to antiepileptic drug therapy, we describe a case of a young adult who developed CLOCC in the background of cerebral venous thrombosis. We hypothesize that occlusion of the posterior pericallosal vein led to the lesion in the splenium. Early institution of anticoagulation therapy resulted in complete reversal of the abnormality, leading to full clinical recovery. Conclusion Cytotoxic lesions of the corpus callosum may rarely be associated with cerebral venous thrombosis. We emphasize the need for greater awareness, early imaging and aggressive therapy of this potentially curable entity. We further highlight cerebral venous thrombosis as a cause for CLOCC.