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A narrative review of pathophysiological mechanisms associated with cervical artery dissection

Michael Haneline1, Gary N Lewkovich

  • 1Palmer College of Chiropractic West, 90 East Tasman Drive, San Jose, CA 95134, USA. michael.haneline@palmer.edu

The Journal of the Canadian Chiropractic Association
|September 22, 2007
PubMed

Insights

Connective tissue abnormalities are the most significant risk factors for cervical artery dissection (CAD), potentially weakening the vascular wall. However, the precise causes of CAD remain unclear, particularly for spontaneous cases or those without obvious risk factors.

Area of Science:

  • Neurology
  • Vascular Medicine
  • Pathophysiology

Background:

  • Cervical artery dissection (CAD) is a leading cause of stroke in young adults.
  • Understanding the underlying pathophysiological risk factors is crucial for diagnosis and prevention.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review and synthesize reported pathophysiological risk factors associated with cervical artery dissection (CAD).
  • To evaluate the strength of evidence for these associations.

Main Methods:

  • A narrative review of literature published from 1966 to September 2006.
  • Searches conducted across MEDLINE, PubMed, MANTIS, and CINAHL databases.
  • Relevant citations were also identified from the reference lists of included articles.

Main Results:

  • A total of 130 distinct citations were initially identified.
  • 49 articles met the selection criteria for inclusion.
  • An additional 6 relevant references were found in the bibliographies of the selected articles.

Conclusions:

  • Connective tissue abnormalities are strongly implicated, potentially leading to vascular wall weakness and susceptibility to dissection.
  • The exact pathogenesis of CAD is not fully understood, especially in spontaneous cases, those linked to minor trauma, or when no clear risk factors are identified.
Abstract

Keywords:
arterycervicaldissectionrisk factor

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