Vertebral artery dissection: a treatable cause of ischaemic stroke

CS Lam, YK Yee, YK Tsui, ML Szeto
Department of Medicine, Tuen Mun Hospital, Tuen Mun, Hong Kong

Vertebral artery dissection used to be an uncommon diagnosis but it is now being diagnosed more frequently owing to the use of magnetic resonance imaging. We report on three patients with vertebral artery dissection to illustrate the importance of establishing this diagnosis by using magnetic resonance imaging in patients who present with cerebrovascular accident that involves the posterior territory. Treatment with heparin can help prevent recurrent embolic events and should be given in the absence of subarachnoid haemorrhage or other contra-indications.

Hong Kong Med J 1999;5:398-401

Key words: Aneurism, dissecting/diagnosis; Cerebral infarction; Cerebral ischemia/diagnosis; Magnetic resonance imaging; Vertebral artery/pathology