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Cervico-cerebral Arteries Dissection

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Arterial Revascularization of the Head and Neck

Abstract

Cervico-cerebral arteries dissection is probably an underdiagnosed cause of stroke, even nowadays, but the new high-resolution imaging could help to increase the accurate diagnosis of arterial wall damage. The trauma of the head and neck, even minor, and/or an underlying arteriopathy are the most frequent causative factors, especially in young adults with arterial dissections.

In this chapter this pathology will be discussed from a general point of view, and in its last sections, the imaging diagnosis, which in our opinion is essential, and the treatment options for dissections localized in different arterial segments are pointed out. We will argue every type of carotid and vertebral artery dissection using one or more case presentations with imaging findings such as cervico-cerebral ultrasonography, cerebral CT scan/angiography, magnetic resonance imaging/angiography, or in selected cases, when necessary, digital subtraction angiography, having in mind that this procedure is more invasive, and new high-resolution techniques are seldom sufficient for a positive diagnosis.

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Antochi, F., Mergeani, A. (2016). Cervico-cerebral Arteries Dissection. In: Muresian, H. (eds) Arterial Revascularization of the Head and Neck. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-34193-4_14

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