title: Lethal vertebral artery dissection in pregnancy: a case report and review of the literature.
abstract: Subarachnoid hemorrhage represents a rare event in pregnancy with a high mortality rate. We present the case of a 39-year-old pregnant woman who developed right vertebral artery dissection with subsequent massive subarachnoid hemorrhage with fatal outcome. The macroscopic and microscopic autopsy findings are described. A review of the literature with a discussion of the varied predisposing factors for vertebral artery dissection and subarachnoid hemorrhage and the rarity of these events in pregnancy is provided.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Temple University Hospital, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
authors.forename: Madalina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tuluc
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: Bruce
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Goldman
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000784:Aortic Dissection / Q000473:pathology*; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D011249:Pregnancy Complications, Cardiovascular / Q000473:pathology*; D013345:Subarachnoid Hemorrhage / Q000473:pathology*; D014711:Vertebral Artery / Q000473:pathology*