A Case Report on Stroke in a Young Patient: Looking Beyond the Obvious Cause
Sowmitra Das1, Farhad Uddin Khan2, Humayra Tabassum1
1Internal Medicine, King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London, GBR.
Insights
Carotid artery dissection, a tear in the neck artery, can block brain blood flow, causing stroke. This case highlights internal carotid artery dissection in a young patient, emphasizing diagnostic challenges.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Vascular Medicine
- Radiology
Background:
- Carotid artery dissection involves separation of the carotid artery layers, potentially interrupting cerebral blood flow.
- This condition is a significant cause of stroke, particularly in younger individuals.
- Varied clinical presentations complicate early diagnosis of carotid artery dissection.
Abstract:
Carotid artery dissection is a condition in which the layers of the carotid artery are separated. As a result, blood flow to a particular region of the brain is interrupted. The condition can occur extra-cranially or intra-cranially and can lead to subarachnoid hemorrhage or ischemic stroke, and it is, in fact, one of the most common causes of stroke in young patients. The considerable variation in presentation makes carotid artery dissection difficult to diagnose early. This case report describes the presentation of internal carotid artery (ICA) dissection leading to stroke in a young patient.
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