Cervical and Vertebral Artery Dissection Phenomena

Cervical and vertebral artery dissection refers to a tear in the inner lining of the carotid or vertebral arteries in the neck, allowing blood to enter the vessel wall and form a false lumen. This can lead to luminal narrowing or occlusion, thrombus formation and embolic stroke. Dissections may occur spontaneously in the context of an underlying arteriopathy or secondary to minor trauma, infection or sudden neck movement. Patients often present with acute neck pain or headache, sometimes accompanied by neurological deficits ranging from transient ischaemic attacks to full-blown stroke. Diagnostic imaging typically combines magnetic resonance angiography, high‐resolution vessel wall imaging and computed tomography angiography to identify characteristic features such as mural haematoma, intimal flap or pseudoaneurysm. Management strategies centre on antithrombotic therapy—either antiplatelet agents or anticoagulants—tailored to the individual’s risk profile and evidence of ongoing vessel injury. Long‐term prognosis is generally favourable, with most dissections healing over several months, although recurrent events and chronic vessel changes warrant ongoing surveillance. Research continues to explore genetic predispositions, inflammatory mediators and optimal therapeutic regimens to reduce stroke risk and improve vessel healing.

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Cervical and Vertebral Artery Dissection Phenomena publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in cervical and vertebral artery dissection phenomena across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

False lumen: A channel within the arterial wall created by blood dissecting through the vessel layers.

Intimal flap: A torn segment of the innermost arterial layer protruding into the vessel lumen.

Pseudoaneurysm: A contained rupture of the arterial wall leading to a blood‐filled bulge bounded by adventitia or surrounding tissue.

Antiplatelet therapy: Medication that inhibits platelet aggregation to prevent thrombus formation.

Anticoagulant therapy: Treatment that interferes with the coagulation cascade to reduce clot formation within vessels.

Vessel wall haematoma: Localised collection of blood within the layers of the arterial wall, identifiable by signal changes on magnetic resonance imaging.

References

1. Elevated serum levels of anti-collagen type I antibodies in patients with spontaneous cervical artery dissection and ischemic stroke: a prospective multicenter study. Frontiers in Immunology (2024).
2. Cervical Artery Dissection and Patent Foramen Ovale in Juvenile Stroke: Causality or Casuality? A Familiar Case Report. Medical Sciences (2023).
3. Antiplatelet treatment compared with anticoagulation treatment for cervical artery dissection (CADISS): a randomised trial. The Lancet Neurology (2015).
4. Cervical Artery Dissection: A Review of the Epidemiology, Pathophysiology, Treatment, and Outcome.. Archives of Neuroscience (2015).