title: Clinical and radiographic natural history of cervical artery dissections.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cervical artery dissection (CADsx) is a common cause of stroke in young patients, but long-term clinical and radiographic follow-up from a large population is lacking.
  
  
  METHODS
  Epidemiologic data, treatment, recurrence, and other features were extracted from the records of all patients seen at our stroke center with confirmed CAD during a 15-year period. A subset of cases was examined to provide detailed information about vessel status.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In all, 177 patients (mean age 44.0 +/- 11.1 years) were identified, with the male patients being older than the female patients. Almost 60% of dissections were spontaneous, whereas the remainder involved some degree of head and/or neck trauma. More than 70% of patients were treated with anticoagulation. During follow-up (mean 18.2 months; 0-220 months) there were 15 cases (8.5%) of recurrent ischemic events, and two cases (1.1%) of a recurrent dissection. About half of recurrent stroke/transient ischemic attack events occurred within 2 weeks of presentation. There was no clear association between the choice of antithrombotic agent and recurrent ischemic events. Detailed analysis of imaging findings was performed in 51 cases. Some degree of recanalization was seen in 58.8% of patients overall, and was more frequent in women. The average time to total or near-total recanalization was 4.7 +/- 2.5 months. Patients with complete occlusions at presentation tended not to recanalize.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This large series from a single institution highlights many of the features of CAD. A relatively benign course with low recurrence rate is supported, independent of the type and duration of antithrombotic therapy.
authors.affiliation: Stanford Stroke Center, Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University, Palo Alto, California 94304, USA. neuro1@stanford.edu
authors.forename: Neil E
authors.initials: NE
authors.lastname: Schwartz
authors.forename: A Talia
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Vertinsky
authors.forename: Karen G
authors.initials: KG
authors.lastname: Hirsch
authors.forename: Gregory W
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: Albers
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000925:Anticoagulants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D020215:Carotid Artery, Internal, Dissection / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000628:therapy; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae / Q000098:blood supply*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D019992:Databases as Topic; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D005343:Fibrinolytic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D018810:Magnetic Resonance Angiography; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012008:Recurrence; D012307:Risk Factors; D015607:Stents; D020521:Stroke / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy; D017131:Thrombectomy; D015912:Thrombolytic Therapy; D013997:Time Factors; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D020217:Vertebral Artery Dissection / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000628:therapy
chemical_list: D000925:Anticoagulants; D005343:Fibrinolytic Agents; D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors