Common carotid artery dissection: A rare cause for cervical pain

Abstract

Spontaneous dissections of extracranial carotid arteries occur most frequently in the internal carotid artery. In contrast, common carotid artery dissection (CCA) is a rare cause of cerebral ischaemia with only a few cases having been reported. We present the case of a 59-year-old male patient who was referred to our clinic with left cervical pain. The patient was otherwise asymptomatic. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed enhancement and double lumen in the left CCA without affecting the carotid bulb, internal carotid artery or aortic arch. We discuss the diagnostic and therapeutic management of the disease, focusing on its differentiation from other causes of cervical pain.

Focal Common Carotid Artery Intramural Hematoma

“…Due to extensive use of duplex ultrasonography, it has been shown that about 41% of aortic dissections extend into common carotid arteries 3 . Only a few cases of isolated CCAD have been described so far 4–9 . These may, exceptionally, occur spontaneously and be asymptomatic 8 .…”

“…Only a few cases of isolated CCAD have been described so far 4–9 . These may, exceptionally, occur spontaneously and be asymptomatic 8 . Isolated CCAD generally show a double lumen and are mostly due to traumatic or iatrogenic 10,11 injury and are often associated with persistent neurological deficits.…”

Traumatic dissection of common carotid artery due to injury caused by a tiger

“…[34] Some of the patients show rapid recovery of the neurological deficit. Our patient showed gradual recovery as she had dense hemiplegia due to a large infarct in middle cerebral artery territory.…”