title: Reperfusion therapy in patients with acute ischaemic stroke caused by cervical artery dissection.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cervical artery dissection (CAD) is responsible for up to 20% of all ischaemic strokes in patients younger than 45. The benefits of acute-phase reperfusion therapy in these patients have yet to be confirmed.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a retrospective review of patients with CAD admitted to a comprehensive stroke centre between 2010 and 2015. We recorded baseline clinical characteristics, treatments, functional outcomes, and mortality.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We identified 35 cases of CAD (23 carotid/12 vertebral); mean age was 43.5 ± 9.5 years and 67.7% were men. Ten patients (32.3%) had a history of trauma. The most frequent risk factors were arterial hypertension (29%) and smoking (35.5%). The most common clinical presentation was ischaemic stroke (29 patients, 93.5%). The median baseline National Institute of Health Stroke Scale score was 6 (range, 0-41). The most frequently used diagnostic method was CT angiography (74.2%), followed by MRI (64.5%) and digital subtraction angiography (45.6%). Seven patients (22.6%) were treated with intravenous fibrinolysis and 11 (35.5%) with endovascular treatment plus intravenous fibrinolysis; at 3 months, functional independence (modified Rankin Scale scores 0-2) was achieved by 57.1% and 63.6% of these cases, respectively. One patient died (3.2%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In our sample, the most common form of presentation of CAD was ischaemic stroke. Reperfusion therapy seems to be a safe and effective option for these patients, and outcomes resemble those of other patients with ischaemic stroke. Larger comparative studies are necessary to better assess response to reperfusion therapy in acute ischaemic stroke.
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Neurología, Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal, Departamento de Neurología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Alcalá (IRYCIS), Madrid, España. Electronic address: lcrespoaraico@gmail.com.
authors.forename: L A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Crespo Araico
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Neurología, Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal, Departamento de Neurología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Alcalá (IRYCIS), Madrid, España.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Vera Lechuga
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Neurología, Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal, Departamento de Neurología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Alcalá (IRYCIS), Madrid, España.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cruz-Culebras
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Neurología, Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal, Departamento de Neurología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Alcalá (IRYCIS), Madrid, España.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Matute Lozano
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Neurología, Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal, Departamento de Neurología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Alcalá (IRYCIS), Madrid, España.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: de Felipe Mimbrera
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Neurología, Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal, Departamento de Neurología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Alcalá (IRYCIS), Madrid, España.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Agüero Rabes
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Neurología, Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal, Departamento de Neurología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Alcalá (IRYCIS), Madrid, España.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Viedma Guiard
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Neurología, Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal, Departamento de Neurología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Alcalá (IRYCIS), Madrid, España.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Estévez Fraga
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Neurología, Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal, Departamento de Neurología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Alcalá (IRYCIS), Madrid, España.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Masjuan Vallejo
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D000792:Angiography / Q000379:methods; D020215:Carotid Artery, Internal, Dissection / Q000150:complications*; D057510:Endovascular Procedures / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D005343:Fibrinolytic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015424:Reperfusion / Q000379:methods*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D013030:Spain; D020521:Stroke / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D005343:Fibrinolytic Agents
keywords: Carotid artery dissection; Cervical artery dissection; Disección arterial cervical; Disección carotídea; Disección vertebral; Endovascular treatment; Fibrinólisis intravenosa; Ictus isquémico; Intravenous fibrinolysis; Ischaemic stroke; Tratamiento endovascular; Vertebral artery dissection