Bilateral spontaneous dissection of extracranial vertebral arteries.
A previously healthy 35-year-old man suddenly developed vertebrobasilar ischaemia while playing tennis. Cerebral arteriography revealed a dissecting aneurysm of the cervical portion of both vertebral arteries. The neurological deficit and the angiographic features resolved with anticoagulant treatment alone. Only 15 patients with non-traumatic extracranial vertebral artery dissection have been previously reported. It is necessary to recognize the condition very quickly, because the authors consider that anticoagulation is required as an emergency.
D000328:Adult; D000784:Aortic Dissection / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011859:Radiography; D014711:Vertebral Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D014715:Vertebrobasilar Insufficiency / Q000209:etiology