Vertebral artery dissection
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Vertebral artery dissection Classification and external resources |
|
Arteries of the neck | |
ICD-9 | 443.24 |
eMedicine | emerg/832 |
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.
[edit] Presentation
Typical features are neck pain associated with stroke-like symptoms of the "posterior circulation": cranial nerve palsies, ataxia, and cortical visual loss.[1] 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.[2]
[edit] Incidence
The annual incidence is about 1 per 100,000 in the United States and 1.5 per 100,000 in France.[2]
[edit] References
- ^ Thanvi B, Munshi SK, Dawson SL, Robinson TG (2005). "Carotid and vertebral artery dissection syndromes". Postgrad Med J 81 (956): 383–8. doi: . PMID 15937204.
- ^ a b 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 31: 131. doi: . PMID 18309525.