Vascular Tortuosity May Be Associated With Cervical Artery Dissection

• Published in: Stroke (1970) 2016-10, Vol.47 (10), p.2548-2552
• Main Authors: Kim, Bum Joon, Yang, Ewha, Kim, Na-Young, Kim, Mi-Jung, Kang, Dong-Wha, Kwon, Sun U, Kim, Jong S
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Brain Ischemia - diagnostic imaging; Brain Ischemia - etiology; Carotid Artery, Internal, Dissection - complications; Carotid Artery, Internal, Dissection - diagnostic imaging; Female; Humans; Magnetic Resonance Angiography; Male; Middle Aged; Neuroimaging; Risk Factors; Stroke - diagnostic imaging; Stroke - etiology; Vertebral Artery Dissection - complications; Vertebral Artery Dissection - diagnostic imaging
• ISSN: 0039-2499; 1524-4628
• DOI: 10.1161/STROKEAHA.116.013736

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE—Dissection is an increasingly recognized cause of ischemic stroke, which occurs spontaneously or after trauma, in relatively young patients. We hypothesized that there might be a predisposing factor weakening the vascular wall and that arterial tortuosity might be higher in patients with dissection. METHODS—We consecutively enrolled cervical artery dissection (CerAD) patients who had undergone magnetic resonance angiography. Age- and sex-matched healthy subjects who underwent magnetic resonance angiography in a routine health examination were used as controls. The tortuosity was measured semiautomatically from the carotid artery and vertebral artery (VA) arteries. Tortuosity index was defined as[(arc/chord)−1×100] in each arteries. Independent risk factors associated with CerAD were investigated using multivariable analysis. Subgroup analysis according to the dissected artery was performed. RESULTS—There were no differences in vascular risk factors between the 75 CerAD patients and the 75 controls. The tortuosity indexes of the contralesional VA (16.3±6.8 versus 12.1±4.5, respectively; P