title: What are the Predictors of Death in Patients With Cranio-Cervical Artery Dissection?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Few studies have reported the predictive factors related to mortality in patients with cranio-cervical artery dissections (CCAD). Our aim was to investigate the predictors related to in-hospital mortality in patients with CCAD and its subgroups.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty-seven patients diagnosed with carotid artery dissection (CAD) or vertebral artery dissection (VAD), admitted to our clinic between 2000 and 2013, were retrospectively reviewed. Age, gender, modified Rankin Scale scores (pre-stroke and at admission), clinical presentation type, location of the dissection, risk factors, and treatments were analyzed as mortality-related prognostic factors. Of the 67 patients, 12 (17.9%) died, five (7.46%) with CAD and seven (10.44%) with VAD. We compared the prognostic characteristics of the surviving versus deceased patients with CCAD and in the subgroups with CAD and VAD.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Age above 45 years, severe disability at admission, presentation with stroke, and intracranial VAD occurred more frequently in deceased patients and were independent variables related to mortality in patients with CCAD and its subgroup with VAD. Severe disability at admission alone was related to mortality in patients with CAD. Hypertension and hypercholesterolemia were independent variables related to mortality in patients with CCAD.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Severe disability at admission was a mortality predictor in both CAD and VAD. Although the initial severity of stroke is reportedly related to poor outcomes in patients with CCAD, it has not previously been directly identified as a predictor of mortality in patients with CAD or VAD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, İnönü University Faculty of Medicine, Malatya, Turkey.
authors.forename: Yüksel
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kaplan
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, İnönü University Faculty of Medicine, Malatya, Turkey.
authors.forename: Özden
authors.initials: Ö
authors.lastname: Kamişli
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, İnönü University Faculty of Medicine, Malatya, Turkey.
authors.forename: Sibel
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Altinayar
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, İnönü University Faculty of Medicine, Malatya, Turkey.
authors.forename: Cemal
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Özcan
keywords: Cranio-cervical artery dissection; carotid artery dissection; mortality; predictor; vertebral artery dissection