title: Endovascular treatment of cervical artery dissection: ten case reports and review of the literature.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The role of endovascular treatment in cases of cervical artery dissection (CeAD) is debatable. With an increasing number of endovascular therapies such as endovascular recanalization and embolization the number of complications such as iatrogenic dissection is also rising. We report our experience with endovascular stenting in the treatment of patients presenting with CeAD.
  
  
  METHODS
  We included all consecutive patients with CeAD (n = 168) treated in our hospital between 2001 and 2010 for our retrospective study. Patients with CeAD were considered eligible for stenting: (1) in iatrogenic dissections and (2) in noniatrogenic dissections if they suffered from recurrent ischemic events despite antithrombotic treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  During our observation period 10 out of 168 patients presenting with CeAD were selected for stenting. Several types of stents were used. Stenting was technically successful in 8 but unsuccessful in 2 patients with complete arterial occlusion. Stent-related clinically apparent complications occurred in 3 of the 10 patients. All were transient. During a mean follow-up of 47 (±24.8) months none of the patients had new cerebrovascular ischemic events.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In our patient sample stenting due to dissection is a rare procedure performed in less than 10% of CAD patients. It should be considered as a feasible rescue treatment in cases of impending stroke despite optimal antithrombotic therapy.
authors.affiliation: Division of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, Department of Radiology, University of Basel Hospital, Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ahlhelm
authors.affiliation: Division of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, Department of Radiology, University of Basel Hospital, Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Robyn Melanie
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Benz
authors.affiliation: Division of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, Department of Radiology, University of Basel Hospital, Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Stephan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ulmer
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of Basel Hospital, Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lyrer
authors.affiliation: Division of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, Department of Radiology, University of Basel Hospital, Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Stippich
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of Basel Hospital, Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Engelter
keywords: Cervical artery dissection; Endovascular treatment; Stenting; Stroke