CCVSI At A Glance: Its Introduction, Symptoms and Treatment Modalities

The term, Chronic Cerebrospinal Venous Insufficiency, CCSVI provides a fair idea about the disorder. This condition is characterized by delayed venous return from the regions pertaining to cerebrum and spinal cord and that is the central nervous system. The decreased venous return is mainly because of the narrowing down of the lumen of the veins due to the deposition of iron in the blood vessels. The disorder is comparatively new as it was 1998, when the phlebotomist, Dr. Paulo Zamboni, gave the concept of chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency and thereby proposed that it majorly leads to multiple sclerosis. Since the blood supply is inadequate in brain and spinal cord, the effects of CCSVI include, delay in the blood reaching these areas, decrease in the amount of oxygen which is supplied through the blood in the central nervous system, which in turn leads to hypoxia, the pressure inside the blood vessels get increased, and the end products of various processes, which gets drained through these blood vessels also gets hampered because of the same. It has also been proposed that chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency is one of the main causative factors for multiple sclerosis. Research is going on to check the authenticity of this hypothesis. Since the disorder affects the central nervous system, the symptoms shown by it are, alteration in the sensations, because the sensory nerves would not be able to respond properly. Similarly there would be motor insufficiency, which would lead to difficulty in moving as well as fatigue. There would be difficulty in vision, swallowing, digestion as all the processes are regulated by central nervous system. There would also be instability in the mood and the patient would be suffering from frequent mood swings and which may lead to depression as well. Since there is deposition of iron and other substances which make the lumen of the veins narrow, the treatment modalities for CCVSI Treatment include balloon angioplasty. In this, an empty balloon is placed inside the blood vessels which lead to formation of a way from where the blood flow can be maintained. Another way to keep the blood flowing in the veins is stenting. Stents are used to prevent the blood vessels from collapsing thereby keeping them in position and thus the blood supply can be maintained. Chronic Cerebrospinal Venous Insufficiency has been proposed as one of the potential causes of multiple sclerosis. Though it has not been proved yet, but there are hypothesis which strongly

support the above statement. Thus, it becomes necessary to treat the disease as it may further lead to occurrence of multiple sclerosis.