PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - AlSheef, Mohammed AU - Alotaibi, Mastourah AU - Zaidi, Abdul Rehman Z. AU - Alshamrani, Areej AU - Alhamidi, Aroub AU - Zaidi, Syed Ziauddin A. AU - Alanazi, Noor AU - Alhathlool, Sarah AU - Alarfaj, Ohoud AU - AlHazzaa, Mohammed AU - Kullab, Ghaydaa AU - Alboghdadly, Amany AU - Abu-Shaheen, Amani TI - Prevalence of cerebral venous thrombosis with the use of oral contraceptive pills during the Holy month of Ramadan AID - 10.15537/smj.2020.10.25397 DP - 2020 Oct 01 TA - Saudi Medical Journal PG - 1063--1069 VI - 41 IP - 10 4099 - http://smj.org.sa/content/41/10/1063.short 4100 - http://smj.org.sa/content/41/10/1063.full SO - Saudi Med J2020 Oct 01; 41 AB - Objectives: To identify the epidemiologic profile of cerebral vein thrombosis (CVT) among fasting women using oral contraceptive pills (OCPs) during the holy month of Ramadan.Methods: This retrospective study was conducted on all patients diagnosed with CVT and using OCPs from records at a tertiary care hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia during 2016-2017. The study participants were categorized into 2 groups (an intermittently fasting group during the holy month of Ramadan and a non-fasting group).Results: Out of 108 female patients with CVT, 36.1% were secondary to OCP, of whom 41% participants were fasting. The most affected site was the transverse sinus. Holocephalic headache was more common amongst fasting group (68.8%) compared to non-fasting group (30.4%) (p=0.025). Dehydration (p=0.003) amongst the fasting group and protein S deficiency (p=0.027) in the non-fasting group were identified as the 2 prominent risk factors. Unfractionated heparin was the most common anticoagulant therapies used during the initiation phase for non-fasting (36.4%) and fasting groups (50%).Conclusion: All women who are using OCP should undergo formal written risk assessments for factors of CVT. Our study suggests that the negative effects of OCPs use might outweigh its benefits; thus, it should be prescribed with caution, more so in fasting patients.