Spontaneous cervical artery dissection: an update on clinical and diagnostic aspects

Spontaneous Right Intrapetrous Internal Carotid Dissection in a Patient With Active COVID-19

Spontaneous cervical artery dissection, a nontraumatic tear in the wall of an internal carotid or vertebral artery, is a common cause of stroke, particularly in patients younger than 40 years of age; however, petrous internal carotid artery dissection is extremely rare. This case report describes a 50-year-old woman who had a spontaneous intrapetrous internal carotid dissection thought to be secondary to active SARS-CoV-2 infection; the dissection was treated successfully with a flow-diverter stent.

Cervical arterial dissection: clinical characteristics in a neurology service in São Paulo, Brazil

ABSTRACT Cervical arterial dissection accounts for only a small proportion of ischemic stroke but arouses scientific interest due to its wide clinical variability. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate its risk factors, outline its clinical characteristics, compare treatment with antiaggregation or anticoagulation, and explore the prognosis of patients with cervical arterial dissection. Methods: An observational, retrospective study using data from medical records on patients with cervical arterial dissection between January 2010 and August 2015. Results: The total number of patients was 41. The patients' ages ranged from 19 to 75 years, with an average of 44.5 years. The most common risk factor was smoking. Antiaggregation was used in the majority of patients (65.5%); 43% of all patients recanalized in six months, more frequently in patients who had received anticoagulation (p = 0.04). Conclusion: The presence of atherosclerotic disease is considered rare in patients with cervical arterial dissection; however, our study found a high frequency of hypertension, smoking and dyslipidemia. The choice of antithrombotic remains controversial and will depend on the judgment of the medical professional; the clinical results with anticoagulation or antiaggregation were similar but there was more recanalization in the group treated with anticoagulation; its course was favorable in both situations. The recurrence of cervical arterial dissection and stroke is considered a rare event and its course is favorable.

Hypoglossal nerve palsy due to carotid artery dissection: an uncommon presentation of a common problem

Spontaneous internal carotid artery dissection occurs in patients of all ages, rarely presenting with hypoglossal nerve palsy. The characteristic imaging findings of internal carotid artery dissection and tongue denervation are reviewed in four patients. Recognition of internal carotid artery dissection is critical for appropriate treatment and to minimise the risk of thromboembolic-ischaemic complications. Radiologists must be aware of the radiological appearance of hypoglossal nerve palsy and maintain a high index of suspicion for internal carotid artery dissection when this finding is present.

"Crick" in Neck Followed by Massage Led to Stroke: Uncommon Case of Vertebral Artery Dissection

BACKGROUND

Vertebral artery dissection (VAD) is an important cause of stroke in young and a known complication of spinal manipulation procedures, although dissection following neck massage has rarely been reported in literature. Head and neck massage by improperly trained salon employees is very popular and widely practiced in developing countries like India. In the present report we present a case of VAD following neck massage.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

We present an unusual case of VAD in a 30-year-old male patient following an episode of neck massage. He developed headache, nausea, vomiting, blurred vision, diplopia, dizziness, and ataxia following the procedure. Initial history and examination suggested that the patient's symptoms were vascular in origin. We also discuss a brief review of the pathology, diagnosis, symptomatology, treatment, prognosis, and occurrence of this rare entity.

RESULTS

Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging of the brain revealed acute infarction of the left cerebellar hemisphere. Digital subtraction angiography showed narrowing and dilatation of the V3 segment of the left vertebral artery with narrowing of the V4 segment consistent with dissection, along with a cavernous segment aneurysm of the contralateral internal carotid artery.

CONCLUSION

This report illustrates the potential hazards associated with neck massage. The vertebral arteries are at risk for dissection, which can lead to acute stroke. This case also suggests that careful history taking and awareness of the symptoms of VAD are necessary to diagnose this entity as timely diagnosis and treatment can prevent permanent disability or even death.

Spontaneous carotid dissection

Carotid dissection is a rare occurrence but it is the main cause of stroke in individuals aged less than 45 years, and can be the etiology in up to 25% of strokes in young adults. We report a case with classic image of ying yang on vascular ultrasound, which was treated according to the best available medical evidence, yielding a favorable outcome.

Spontaneous internal carotid artery rupture during neck dissection in osteogenesis imperfecta patient

OBJECTIVE

Several connective tissue disorders are associated with vascular wall abnormalities, including spontaneous dissection of the cervical arteries. Osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) is a hereditary disorder, with rare neurovascular complications, which potentially lead to life-threatening events.

METHODS

We presented a case of spontaneous internal carotid artery (ICA) rupture that occurred in a 52-year-old-woman, suffering from OI type I, and who underwent a bilateral modified radical neck dissection (mRND) plus total thyroidectomy for a T4aN1b thyroid cancer. During mRND, an ICA's spontaneous rupture occurred.

RESULTS

Histopathologic report suggested a structural defect of the arterial wall without cancer infiltration. The patient did not experience any neurologic complications.

DISCUSSION

Head and neck surgeons have to be aware about early clinical recognition of possible cervical vascular abnormalities, in patients with connective tissue disorders, potentially responsible for dramatic vascular rupture during cervical surgical procedures.

Spontaneous Bilateral Vertebral Artery Dissection During a Basketball Game: A Case Report

Spontaneous vertebral artery dissection accounts for 2% of all ischemic strokes and can occur as a consequence of sports events. We present an unusual case of spontaneous bilateral vertebral artery dissection in a 30-year-old male patient during a basketball game. He developed severe dysphagia, right hemiparesis, and balance dysfunction. We also present a review of the pathology, diagnosis, symptomatology, treatment, prognosis, and occurrence of this entity in sports.

Hyperhomocysteinemia and methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase polymorphism in cervical artery dissection: a meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Cervical artery dissection (CAD) is a recognized cause of ischemic stroke. Hyperhomocysteinemia (HHcy), i.e. an elevated concentration of plasma homocysteine, is identified as an independent risk factor for stroke prevalence. However, an association between HHcy and CAD has so far remained unknown.

METHODS

A meta-analysis was performed to analyze the association between HHcy and CAD as well as the relevance of the C677T polymorphism of methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR), the key enzyme in homocysteine metabolism during CAD. We searched PubMed and Embase for studies reporting homocysteine concentrations or MTHFR genotype frequencies in CAD patients from 1990 to 2013. Outcomes were extracted from studies meeting the inclusion criteria and were subjected to a meta-analysis by the random-effect model. Heterogeneity was assessed by the I(2) test.

RESULTS

Eight case-control studies with 2,146 individuals fulfilled the required criteria and were included in the meta-analysis. HHcy was found to be significantly associated with CAD (pooled standardized mean difference: 0.96; 95% confidence interval, CI: 0.42-1.49; p < 0.01). We also found a significantly increased risk of CAD in individuals with the MTHFR C677T polymorphism by both the recessive model (TT vs. CT+CC; odds ratio, OR = 1.81; 95% CI: 1.22-2.67; p = 0.003) and the dominant model (TT+CT vs. CC; OR = 1.47; 95% CI: 1.08-1.99; p = 0.014).

CONCLUSION

Our data suggest positive correlations between HHcy and CAD and between the C677T polymorphism of MTHFR and CAD.

Beware of "old" Horner syndrome

PURPOSE

Chronic Horner syndrome is a rare clinical condition, the etiology of which often remains undiscovered. A patient is presented with an 8-year history of Horner syndrome who was diagnosed with multiple cervical artery dissections.

CASE REPORT

A 42-year-old woman presented to our emergency department with a severe occipital headache that woke her up from sleep 3 days earlier. She had a history of headaches and recalled one in particular dating back to 2003. At that time, she sought medical attention at general practitioner's office because of the terrible headache and a noticeable disparity of her pupils. She was told that she had miosis of the right pupil. The examination conducted in 2011 revealed Horner syndrome with right miosis and ptosis. A four-vessel cerebral angiography revealed an occlusion of the right internal carotid artery. The morphology of stenosis and pseudoaneurysm of C1 segment of left internal carotid artery, as well as a pseudoaneurysm of V3/V4 junction of left vertebral artery indicated a probable dissective etiology.

CONCLUSIONS

This case illustrates that Horner syndrome with a chronic presentation can be as potentially dangerous as its acute counterpart and should be judiciously investigated.

Internal carotid artery dissection after inferior alveolar nerve block for third molar dental care presented as hypoglossal nerve palsy

Cervicocephalic artery dissections occurring during dental care have exceptionally been reported. We describe a case of internal carotid artery dissection, presenting as hypoglossal nerve palsy, occurring immediately after difficult inferior alveolar nerve anesthetic block for third inferior molar dental care. Carotid dissection was successfully treated with anticoagulation therapy while hypoglossal nerve palsy recovered with carotid dissection shrinkage. The etiopathogenetic mechanisms of this singular form of internal carotid artery dissection are discussed. The possibility of internal carotid artery dissection development during oral or dental procedure, specifically in cases of possible trivial intraoperative internal carotid artery injury, severe local periodontal infection, or prolonged cervical hyperextension should be considered. Every possible prophylactic measure should be taken (eg, sedating the patient during oral or dental procedures, aggressive preoperative management of general and local periodontal chronic infections, avoiding prolonged perioperative neck hyperextention) to prevent this very rare but potentially life-threatening complication.

Endovascular stent therapy for extracranial and intracranial carotid artery dissection: single-center experience

Object

The objective of this study was to evaluate endovascular stent therapy for carotid artery dissections (CADs).

Methods

Retrospective review of data at Millard Fillmore Gates Hospital identified 43 patients with 44 CADs (intracranial and/or extracranial) treated with carotid artery (CA) stent placement between January 2000 and June 2009.

Results

Thirty-two CADs were spontaneous and 12 were traumatic; 35 were symptomatic. Lesion locations included the extracranial internal CA (ICA; 24 cases), extracranial ICA with common CA involvement (4 cases), and extracranial ICA–intracranial ICA (16 cases). Carotid artery occlusion was 100% in 15 cases (34.1%), 99% in 6 cases (13.6%), 70%–98% in 13 cases (29.5%), and < 70% in 10 cases (22.7%). Five patients suffered pseudoaneurysms. Stent deployment was successful in 43 (97.7%) of 44 cases. The mean pretreatment score on the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale was 6.2 ± 6.2. Recanalization (Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction Grade 2 or 3) was accomplished for 42 lesions (95.5%). Four patients demonstrated residual parent vessel stenosis (10%–50% in severity). Procedure-related complications occurred in 7 patients and included middle cerebral artery embolism (1 patient), intracranial hemorrhage (2 patients), worsening of dissection (1 patient), stent malpositioning (1 patient), embolic protection filter overload (1 patient), and filter retrieval device fracture (1 patient). Only 2 of these complications caused permanent deficits: the embolism caused a minor but permanent neurological deficit, and 1 intracranial hemorrhage was fatal. At discharge, 36 patients (83.7%) had modified Rankin Scale scores of 0–2 (favorable outcome). During the follow-up interval (mean 19.2 months, range 4–92 months), no patient suffered a new stroke and 1 patient died secondary to preexisting chronic renal failure. In 20 patients with angiographic follow-up, permanent resolution of the dissection was noted in 90.5%; 2 lesions (9.5%) required retreatment.

Conclusions

Endovascular stent-assisted repair of extra- and intracranial CAD was safe and effective in this experience and can be recommended for selected patients. In particular, patients with symptomatic CADs that are not responsive to medical therapy should be considered for interventional treatment.