title: Imaging in the diagnosis and follow-up evaluation of vertebral artery dissection.
abstract: The purpose of this report is to discuss the value of ultrasonographic examination in the diagnosis and follow-up evaluation of vertebral artery dissection. We collected data on 8 patients with 11 pathologic vessels: 9 were affected intracranially and 6 were affected extracranially. Four vessels were affected in both intracranial and extracranial segments. Extracranial color-flow duplex sonography could detect abnormalities in every extracranial vertebral artery dissection. Most abnormal findings were non-specific, including severely reduced flow, absence of flow, and absence of diastolic flow. A specific finding (intramural hematoma) was noted in one artery. Abnormal transcranial color-coded sonographic findings included absence of flow, reduced velocity and reversed flow direction. Three intracranial dissecting arteries showed normal findings on transcranial color-coded sonography. Ultrasonographic follow-up study revealed evidence of improvement; this was noted almost exclusively in the extracranial segments of the vertebral artery but infrequently in the intracranial segment. Extracranial color-flow duplex sonography is sensitive in the detection of extracranial vertebral artery dissection, both in initial diagnosis and in follow-up evaluation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Republic of China.
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Jeng
authors.forename: K M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: B S
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.forename: W H
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: R C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: P K
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Yip
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000784:Aortic Dissection / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011859:Radiography; D014463:Ultrasonography; D014711:Vertebral Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*