title: [Spontaneous dissection of the subclavian artery and its branches].
abstract: A 51-year-old woman suffering from vertigo presented to our cerebrovascular laboratory. MRI revealed a right-sided cerebellar infarction. On ultrasound examination, we found a dissection with wall hematoma of the right subclavian artery extending to the first segment of the vertebral artery and to the thyrocervical trunc, as well as a dissection of the left vertebral artery in the cranio-cervical junction. On follow-up evaluation, all stenoses resulting from dissection were recanalized within 2 months and findings of wall hematoma disappeared completely within 7 months. There was no evidence of a traumatic or iatrogenic cause of dissection; an aortic dissection was excluded by MRI. So we diagnosed a spontaneous dissection of the subclavian artery--an extremely rare but apparently existing vascular condition.
authors.affiliation: Abteilung Neurologie, Allgemeines Krankenhaus Wandsbek, Hamburg, Deutschland. christian.arning@t-online.de
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Arning
mesh_terms: D000784:Aortic Dissection / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D016122:Brachiocephalic Trunk / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000098:blood supply*; D002544:Cerebral Infarction / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D013348:Subclavian Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D018615:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color; D020217:Vertebral Artery Dissection / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D014715:Vertebrobasilar Insufficiency / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging