title: Blunt traumatic carotid dissection with delayed symptoms.
abstract: We describe five patients with blunt traumatic carotid dissection with delayed clinical presentation that varied from 2 weeks to 6 months. Four patients had severe head injury, and one patient had direct blunt trauma to the neck. Cerebrovascular symptoms developed in four patients. The fifth patient suffered loss of vision as a result of a concurrent giant intracranial dissecting aneurysm. Arteriography demonstrated a "string sign" in two cases and a cervical carotid aneurysm in three; two of the latter also had siphon occlusion, and one of these had a superimposed supraclinoid dissecting aneurysm. One patient was treated by thromboendarterectomy, one by aneurysmorraphy, another by carotid ligation, and the other two patients were treated medically. Mechanisms of injury, forensic problems, and therapeutic options are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Division of Neurosurgery, Bellaria Hospital, Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pozzati
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Giuliani
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Poppi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Faenza
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000784:Aortic Dissection / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology*; D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology*; D002533:Cerebral Angiography; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006259:Craniocerebral Trauma / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019838:Neck Injuries; D013997:Time Factors; D014949:Wounds, Nonpenetrating / Q000150:complications*