In this post, I link to and excerpt from Cervical Artery Dissection: A Review of the Epidemiology, Pathophysiology, Treatment, and Outcome [PubMed Abstract] [Full-Text HTML] [Full-Text PDF]. Arch Neurosci. 2015 Oct;2(4):e26670.
All that follows is from the above resource.
Abstract
Context—Cervical artery dissection (CAD) is a common cause of stroke in young adults. There is controversy over whether anticoagulation is superior to antiplatelet therapy in preventing strokein patients with CAD, although meta-analyses to date have not shown any difference between the two treatments.
Evidence acquisition—We performed a PubMed search using each of the keywords: “Cervical artery dissection”, “Dissection”, “Carotid dissection”, and “Vertebral dissection” between January 1st, 1990 and July 1st 2015. We identified evidence-based peer-reviewed articles, including randomized trials, case series and reports, and retrospective reviews that encompass the epidemiology, clinical manifestations, pathophysiology, treatment, and outcome of cervical artery dissection.
Results—This paper highlights the mechanisms of cervical artery dissection and stroke in patients with dissection as well as the natural history and treatment.
Conclusion—Given the relatively rare incidence of this disease, multicenter studies with collaborative effort among stroke centers worldwide should be considered to enroll patients with
cervical artery dissection in a randomized trial comparing the two treatments.Context
Cervical artery dissection (CAD) is a common cause of stroke in young adults. The pathophysiology and treatment of this disease are controversial. This review will highlight the risk factors, pathophysiology, and treatment for this disease.
