What is carotid vertebral dissection?

Carotid or vertebral artery dissection is the separation of the tunica media and tunica intima of a vessel. This can lead to thrombosis of the false lumen, which can, in turn, lead to stenoses or embolisms with the risk of stroke.

What is vertebral artery dissection symptoms?

The most common symptoms were dizziness/vertigo (58%), headache (51%) and neck pain (46%). Stroke was common (63%), especially with extracranial dissections (66% vs. 32%, p<0.0001), while TIA (14%) and subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) (10%) were uncommon. SAH was seen only with intracranial dissections (57% vs.

How does a carotid artery dissection happen?

Carotid dissections usually develop without a clear cause (called spontaneous carotid artery dissection) or as a result of some sort of trauma (such as a car accident, sports injury, surgery, or chiropractic neck manipulation).

Can carotid artery dissection go away?

Aside from that, the main danger of carotid dissection is a stroke — or a second stroke — caused by a blood clot. Thus, a drug to prevent clot formation is typically the go-to treatment for the first three to six months after diagnosis. In many cases, the dissection will seal itself off or heal over time.

How long does it take for a carotid dissection to heal?

Once diagnosed and treated, patients with carotid artery dissection require regular follow-up and imaging studies of both carotid arteries. Healing usually takes 3-6 months, and the incidence of contralateral dissection is higher in these patients than in the general population.

What is the prognosis of carotid artery dissection?

Prognosis is variable and depends on whether the diagnosis is made before the onset of stroke symptoms. All patients have a very high risk of stroke, intracranial bleeding, and are subjected to anticoagulation which has its set of risks. Carotid dissection is a rare disease, and it is an extremely difficult diagnosis to make.

Can vertebral artery dissection heal itself?

The artery will completely heal in about 6 months. The scar tissue will be stronger than the original tissue. The neuro generally does an MRA at 6 months to insure that the VAD has healed. I’m glad to hear that you did not have a stroke as a result of the VAD.

What causes vertebral artery dissection (VAD)?

In the cases where VAD was not diagnosed before stroke occurred,treating the stroke to prevent lasting effects is the primary goal

What are the symptoms of a blocked vertebral artery?

dizziness or vertigo.

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