acute
Vertebral artery dissection
Vertebral dissection (VAD) is a flap-like tear of the inner lining of the vertebral artery, which is located in the neck and supplies blood to the brain. After the tear, blood enters the wall and forms a blood clot, thickening the artery wall and often impeding blood flow. The symptoms of vertebral artery dissection include head and neck pain and intermittent or permanent symptoms such as difficulty speaking, impaired coordination, and visual loss. It is usually diagnosed with a contrast-enhanced CT or MRI scan.
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Symptoms — what it feels like
- ·Headache, difficulty speaking, difficulty swallowing, poor coordination
Causes — why it happens
- ·, Ehlers–Danlos , Marfan syndrome
How it's found
- ·Computed tomography angiography, magnetic resonance angiography, invasive angiography
Treatment
- ·Anticoagulation, angioplasty,
Complications
- ·, subarachnoid
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See all of Blood Vessels →Plain-language summary adapted from Wikipedia. Not medical advice.