Vertebral artery dissection presenting as acute cerebrovascular accident.
Vertebral artery dissection is a lesser known but significant cause of stroke in young, healthy people. Given its infrequency of presentation, emergency physicians may not always recognize its common symptoms--vertigo, diplopia, ataxia, and dysarthria--as a stroke. In this case report, we describe a patient with vertebral artery dissection presenting with atypical symptoms and discuss the epidemiology, risk factors, presentation, clinical examination findings, imaging modalities, and treatment of this disease.
Kratz
Sabrina N
SN
Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
Butler
Kenneth H
KH
D000328:Adult; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D020521:Stroke / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014711:Vertebral Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D020217:Vertebral Artery Dissection / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging