title: Heritable connective tissue disorders in cervical artery dissections: a prospective study.
abstract: We prospectively evaluated 15 consecutive patients with spontaneous cervical artery dissections. Three patients (20%) had a heritable connective tissue disorder, each with a unique phenotype. None of these patients met the criteria of any of the named syndromes, and collagen and fibrillin analyses were normal. Heritable connective tissue disorders are common among patients with spontaneous cervical artery dissections, but, despite intensive investigations, the type of disorder usually cannot be identified. The underlying arteriopathy in cervical artery dissections is likely to be heterogeneous.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurologic Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
authors.forename: W I
authors.initials: WI
authors.lastname: Schievink
authors.forename: E F
authors.initials: EF
authors.lastname: Wijdicks
authors.forename: V V
authors.initials: VV
authors.lastname: Michels
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vockley
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Godfrey
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000784:Aortic Dissection / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics*; D002533:Cerebral Angiography; D003240:Connective Tissue Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D002532:Intracranial Aneurysm / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010641:Phenotype; D011446:Prospective Studies