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Cervical artery dissection is dissection of one of the layers that compose the carotid and vertebral artery in the neck. They include:
Cervical dissections can be broadly classified as either "spontaneous" or traumatic. Cervical artery dissections are a significant cause of strokes in young adults.
A dissection typically results in a tear in one of the layers of the arterial wall. The result of this tear is often an intramural hematoma and/or aneurysmal dilation in the arteries leading to the intracranial area.
Signs and symptoms of a cervical artery dissection are often non-specific and can be localized or generalized. There is no specific treatment, although most patients are either given an anti-platelet or anti-coagulation agent to prevent or treat strokes.