Vertebral artery dissection
Vertebral artery dissection | |
Arteries of the neck | |
ICD-9 | 443.24 |
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]
Overview
Vertebral artery dissection is the development of dissection (a flap-like tear) in the vertebral artery. It is commonly associated with physical trauma but may also develop spontaneously. It is a major cause of stroke in young people.
Epdidemiology and Demographics
The annual incidence is about 1 per 100,000 in America and 1.5 per 100,000 in France.[1]
Diagnosis
Symptoms
Typical features are pain in the neck associated with stroke-like symptoms of the "posterior circulation": cranial nerve palsies, ataxia, and cortical visual loss.[2] It can also cause subarachnoid hemorrhage (bleeding into the area around the brain); dissecting aneurysms of the vertebral artery represent about 4% of all aneurysms.[1]
Diagnostic Guidelines
CT
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Santos-Franco JA, Zenteno M, Lee A (2008). "Dissecting aneurysms of the vertebrobasilar system. A comprehensive review on natural history and treatment options". Neurosurg Rev. doi:10.1007/s10143-008-0124-x. PMID 18309525.
- ↑ Thanvi B, Munshi SK, Dawson SL, Robinson TG (2005). "Carotid and vertebral artery dissection syndromes". Postgrad Med J. 81 (956): 383–8. doi:10.1136/pgmj.2003.016774. PMID 15937204.