Dr Lucy Thomas

© 2015 Elsevier Ltd.Introduction: Cervical arterial dissection (CAD) is a common cause of stroke in young people under 55 years. It can occur spontaneously or subsequent to minor trauma or infection. The incidence is difficult to determine accurately as not all CAD progress to stroke. CAD is the most catastrophic adverse event associated with cervical manipulative therapy but it is rare. Early features of CAD can mimic a painful musculoskeletal presentation and a patient may present for treatment of neck pain and headache with a dissection in progress. Whether the manipulative technique is responsible for dissection or whether the diagnosis of CAD has been missed is unclear. Identification of individuals at risk, or early recognition of CAD could help expedite medical intervention and avoid inappropriate treatment. Purpose: The aims of this masterclass are to outline current research into the pathophysiology, aetiology and clinical presentation of CAD, to place the risk in context in a manipulative therapy setting and to discuss its possible clinical recognition. Implications: For those patients presenting with recent onset, moderate to severe unusual headache or neck pain, clinicians should perform a careful history, in particular questioning about recent exposure to head/neck trauma or neck strain. Cardiovascular factors may not be particularly useful indicators of risk of dissection. Clinicians should also be alert to reports of transient neurological dysfunction such as visual disturbance and balance deficits, arm paraesthesia and speech deficits, as these may be subtle. If clinicians suspect arterial dissection is in progress patients should be urgently referred for medical evaluation.

Copyright ©2015 Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy®. All rights reserved.STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional case-control study. OBJECTIVES: To identify risk factors and clinical presentation of individuals with cervical arterial dissection. BACKGROUND: Cervical arterial dissection is a common cause of stroke in young people and has in rare cases been associated with cervical manipulative therapy. The mechanism is considered to involve pre-existing arterial susceptibility and a precipitating event, such as minor trauma. Identification of individuals at risk or early recognition of a dissection in progress could help expedite medical intervention and avoid inappropriate treatment. METHODS: Participants were individuals 55 years of age or younger from the Hunter region of New South Wales, Australia with radiologically confirmed vertebral or internal carotid artery dissection and an age- and sex-matched comparison group. Participants were interviewed about risk factors, preceding events, and clinical features of their stroke. Physical examination of joint mobility and soft tissue compliance was undertaken. RESULTS: Twenty-four participants with cervical arterial dissection and 21 matched comparisons with ischemic stroke but not dissection were included in the study. Seventeen (71%) of the 24 participants with dissection reported a recent history of minor mechanical neck trauma or strain, with 4 of these 17 reporting recent neck manipulative therapy treatment. Cardiovascular risk factors were uncommon, with the exception of diagnosed migraine. Among the participants with dissection, 67% reported transient ischemic features in the month prior to their admission for dissection. CONCLUSION: Recent minor mechanical trauma or strain to the head or neck appears to be associated with cervical arterial dissection. General cardiovascular risk factors, with the exception of migraine, were not important risk factors for dissection in this cohort. Preceding transient neurological symptoms appear to occur commonly and may assist in the identification of this serious pathology.