Table 1 Baseline characteristics and imaging findings in 20 patients with pain as the only symptom of spontaneous cervical artery dissection.
| Patient | Sex | Age (years) | Potential predisposing or precipitating factors | Delay to diagnosis (days) | Dissected vessels | Cervical MRI | MRA or DSA findings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | F | 33 | HC, Mig | 5 | VA left, | No mural haematoma | Stenosis V2 |
| VA right | Mural haematoma V2 | Stenosis V2, FMD | |||||
| 2 | F | 31 | HC, OC, MigA | 5 | VA left | Mural haematoma V3, V4 | Stenosis V3, V4 |
| 3 | F | 41 | None | 3 | VA right | Mural haematoma V2 | Stenosis V2 |
| 4 | M | 34 | None | <1 | VA left | Mural haematoma V1 | Stenosis V1 |
| 5 | F | 52 | Past smoker, Mig | 22 | VA left, | Mural haematoma V2 | Stenosis V2 |
| VA right, | Mural haematoma V2 | Stenosis V2 | |||||
| ICA left | Mural haematoma TL | Stenosis TL | |||||
| 6 | F | 27 | HC, OC, Mig | <1 | VA right | Mural haematoma V2 | Stenosis V2 |
| 7 | F | 34 | Mig | 5 | VA left | Mural haematoma V2 | Stenosis V2 |
| 8 | F | 33 | HC, OC, Mig | 13 | VA left, | Mural haematoma V2 | Stenosis V2 |
| VA right | Mural haematoma V1 | Stenosis V1 | |||||
| 9 | M | 42 | Hypertension, HC, minor trauma | 2 | VA right | Mural haematoma V2 | Occlusion V2 |
| 10 | M | 43 | HC | 29 | VA left | Mural haematoma V1 | Stenosis V1 |
| 11 | M | 34 | Smoking | 10 | VA right | Mural haematoma V2 | Stenosis V2 |
| 12 | F | 38 | Past smoking | 11 | ICA right | Mural haematoma TL | Occlusion TL (flame shaped) |
| 13 | F | 53 | HC | 7 | VA right | No mural haematoma | Stenosis V1 |
| ICA right | Mural haematoma TL | Occlusion TL (flame shaped) | |||||
| 14 | F | 47 | HC | 10 | ICA left | Mural haematoma TL | Stenosis TL |
| 15 | F | 44 | HC | 4 | VA left, | Mural haematoma V2 | Stenosis V2 |
| VA right | Mural haematoma V2 | Stenosis V2, FMD | |||||
| 16 | M | 39 | HC, Mig, fever, angina, minor trauma | 21 | ICA right | Mural haematoma TL | Stenosis TL |
| 17 | F | 27 | HC, Mig, postpartum angiopathy | 6 | VA right | Mural haematoma V2 | Stenosis V2, multiple intracranial segmental stenosis |
| 18 | F | 31 | OC, Mig, MigA | 8 | VA left | Mural haematoma V3 | Stenosis V3 |
| Intimal flap | |||||||
| 19 | F | 43 | None | 12 | VA right | Mural haematoma V3 | Stenosis V3 |
| 20 | M | 51 | HC, minor trauma | <1 | VA right | Mural haematoma V2, V3 | Stenosis V2–V4 |
DSA, digital subtraction angiography; F, female; FMD, fibromuscular dysplasia; HC, hypercholesterolaemia; ICA, internal carotid artery; M, male; Mig, migraine without aura; MigA, migraine with aura; MRA, magnetic resonance angiography; MRI, magnetic resonance imaging; OC, oral contraception; TL, typical location 2–3 cm distal to the bifurcation; V1–V4, artery segments; VA, vertebral artery.