What is the most common cause of vertebral artery dissection?
[4][5][6]Blunt trauma to the neck is the most common reported precipitating event. Patients with connective tissue disorders are also at increased risk. Ehlers-Danlos syndrome is the most common connective tissue disorder that can cause vertebral artery dissection.
How do you treat a vertebral artery dissection?
First-line treatment for cervical artery dissection usually is antiplatelet agents (such as aspirin) or anti-coagulation to prevent the formation of blood clots. Antiplatelet drugs such as aspirin or clopidogrel may used alone or in combination.
What are the symptoms of vertebral artery dissection?
Signs and symptoms
- Ipsilateral facial dysesthesia (pain and numbness) – Most common symptom.
- Dysarthria or hoarseness (cranial nerves [CN] IX and X)
- Contralateral loss of pain and temperature sensation in the trunk and limbs.
- Ipsilateral loss of taste (nucleus and tractus solitarius)
- Hiccups.
- Vertigo.
- Nausea and vomiting.
How common is vertebral artery dissection?
Vertebral artery dissection (VAD) is one of the most common identifiable causes of stroke in those aged 18-45,1 with an estimated annual incidence between 1 and 1.5 per 100,000.
Can a dissected artery heal?
Although arterial dissections often heal on their own, most children with dissections require treatment to prevent strokes while the dissection heals. The most common therapy for children is an anti-clotting medicine or blood thinner, such as coumadin or aspirin.
When should you suspect vertebral artery dissection?
Vertebral artery dissection Specifically ask about double vision or visual field cuts. The presence of either of these should raise the concern for neurologic deficits. Most, but not all, patients with vertebral artery dissection have a headache. Headache is severe, unilateral, and often posterior-occipital.
How long does a dissected artery take to heal?
Healing usually takes 3-6 months, and the incidence of contralateral dissection is higher in these patients than in the general population. When the condition is diagnosed early, the prognosis is usually good.
Can you feel an artery tear?
A vertebral artery tear may feel like something sharp is stuck in the base of your skull. If you experience such pain — especially if you also have stroke symptoms such as dizziness, double vision, jerky eye movements, unsteadiness while walking, or slurred speech — call 911 immediately.
Can a blocked artery cause neck pain?
It is linked with physical changes that can happen in a carotid artery in your neck. Your neck may feel tender in the area of the artery. The pain often goes up the neck to the jaw, ear, or forehead.
Can you live with dissected carotid artery?
Mean follow-up was 1133.2 days. Conclusions: Most cervical carotid dissections can safely be conservatively managed, with the majority achieving anatomic and symptomatic resolution, with low rates of recurrence over long-term follow-up.
What is the meaning of vertebral artery dissection?
Vertebral artery dissection. Vertebral artery dissection, like arterial dissection elsewhere, is a result of blood entering the media through a tear in the intima. It is potentially lethal and can be difficult to diagnose clinically and radiologically.
Is there a link between neck manipulation and vertebral artery dissection?
The link between chiropractic neck manipulation and cervical artery dissection (both the carotid artery and vertebral artery) has been long suspected and has been the source of much litigation and heated debates.
When does vertebral artery dissection cause head pain?
Head pain occurs in 50–75% of all cases of vertebral artery dissection. It tends to be located at the back of the head, either on the affected side or in the middle, and develops gradually. It is either dull or pressure-like in character or throbbing.
Where does the blood flow after a VAD tear?
Vertebral artery dissection. Vertebral artery dissection ( VAD) is a flap-like tear of the inner lining of the vertebral artery, which is located in the neck and supplies blood to the brain. After the tear, blood enters the arterial wall and forms a blood clot, thickening the artery wall and often impeding blood flow.