Long-Term Vascular Remodeling After Headache-Onset Intracranial Vertebral Artery Dissection

Vertebral artery dissection presenting with isolated headache is a specific clinical presentation characterized by dynamic, yet poorly understood, long-term vascular remodeling. We aimed to characterize the spectrum of chronic morphological outcomes in headache-onset vertebral artery dissection and identify clinical and imaging factors associated with incomplete healing and delayed morphologic progression.

We retrospectively investigated 179 consecutive patients diagnosed with isolated headache-onset intracranial vertebral artery dissection without acute ischemic or hemorrhagic complications. Patients underwent standardized longitudinal MRI follow-up. Based on long-term imaging, morphological remodeling was categorized into complete healing, quiescent residual abnormality, and morphologic progression (delayed enlargement of > 1 mm). Multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to identify predictors of incomplete healing and progression, including the evaluation of intramural signal on DWI.

Over a median follow-up of 67 months, complete healing was observed in 135 patients (75.4%), whereas 44 (24.6%) exhibited incomplete healing. Within the incomplete healing group, 28 (15.6%) remained morphologically quiescent, and 16 (8.9%) demonstrated delayed morphologic progression. Progression occurred sporadically over extended follow-up. Multivariable analysis revealed that hypertension (adjusted odds ratio, 3.98; P = .009) and habitual alcohol consumption (adjusted odds ratio, 4.51; P = .04) were independently associated with morphologic progression. Conversely, incomplete healing was independently associated with male sex (adjusted odds ratio, 2.60; P = .04), non-dominant vertebral artery involvement (adjusted odds ratio, 2.68; P = .02), and the presence of intramural signal on DWI at the 2-week subacute phase (adjusted odds ratio, 2.63; P = .03).

Headache-onset intracranial vertebral artery dissection is a dynamic disease process. Delayed morphologic progression is associated with modifiable systemic stressors, whereas incomplete healing is associated with local structural vulnerabilities, for which the subacute manifestation of intramural signal on DWI serves as a practical imaging surrogate. These findings emphasize the potential value of risk-stratified imaging surveillance and targeted hemodynamic management.