Traumatic Dissection of Four Brain-Supplying Arteries without Neurologic Deficit. (August 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Pröscholdt, Florian; Heining, Sandro; Powerski, Maciej; Nolte, Christian H.; Ertel, Wolfgang
• Is Part Of: Global spine journal. Volume 4:Number 3(2014)
• Page Start: 187
• Page End: 190
• Publication Date: 2014-08
• Subjects: arterial dissection -- spine trauma -- anticoagulation -- computed tomography -- angiography -- magnetic resonance imaging; Spine -- Diseases -- Periodicals; Spine -- Diseases -- Treatment -- Periodicals; Spine -- Abnormalities -- Periodicals; Spine -- Surgery -- Periodicals; 616.73
• DOI: 10.1055/s-0034-1366972
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2192-5682

Abstract

Study Design: Case report and review of the literature. Objectives: Case report of a traumatic dissection of all major brain-supplying arteries resulting from a horseback-riding accident. Overview of the literature on diagnostic and therapeutic recommendations. Methods: Case presentation. For the discussion, handpicked articles and PubMed database research with the keywords "dissection, " "vertebral artery, " "spine trauma, " "computed tomography, " "magnetic resonance imaging, " and "angiography" were used. Results: Despite high-energy induced acute lesion of all four cervical arteries, this 45-year-old patient did not demonstrate signs of microemboli nor suffer from stroke. Conclusion: In case of high-energy trauma of the head and/or the neck, emergency physicians must consider traumatic cervical artery dissection (TCAD). Thus, emergency care algorithms should routinely include computed tomography angiography and magnetic resonance imaging. Although the incidence of TCAD-induced stroke is low, antiplatelet therapy is recommended in the presence of TCAD.