Systemic life-threatening or major bleeding while on anticoagulants during the acute phase of CVT or during the 6 months prior to randomisation (intracranial bleeding due to inclusion CVT is not an exclusion criteria)
General contraindications for anticoagulant therapy
Need for prolonged treatment with antiplatelet drugs, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or other drugs/diseases that interferes significantly with anticoagulant therapy or with INR
Life expectancy < 2 years due to a pre-existing condition (including any malignancy)
Child bearing potential without adequate contraceptive measures, pregnancy or breast feeding
Known allergy to study medications
Other conditions judged by the investigator to be an absolute indication for prolonged oral anticoagulation such as recurrent CVT, VTE after CVT or first CVT with antiphospholipid syndrome or known severe thrombophilia (antithrombin, protein C or protein S deficiency, homozygous factor V Leiden or prothrombin G20210A mutation or combined abnormalities)