Table 2.
Patients’ baseline characteristics
| ICAD | VAD | Total | P-value† | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age (mean ± SD) | 42.8 ± 14 | 40.3 ± 10.3 | 41.8 ± 12.6 | 0.416 |
| Gender [female] | 13(46.4) | 6(31.6) | 19(40.4) | 0.309 |
| Baseline mRS (mean ± SD) | 2.3 ± 1.3 | 2.7 ± 1.2 | 2.5 ± 1.2 | 0.623 |
| mRS at 1 year-follow up (mean ± SD) | 2.0 ± 1.2 | 1.8 ± 1.3 | 1.9 ± 1.2 | 0.673 |
| Affected side [Right] | 13(46.4) | 26(55.3) | 26(55.3) | 0.137 |
| Headache at presentation | 17(60.7) | 16(84.2) | 33(70.2) | 0.084 |
| Neck pain at presentation | 10(35.7) | 10(52.6) | 20(42.6) | 0.250 |
| Hemiparesis at presentation | 4(21.0) | 18(64.2) | 22 (46.8) | 0.101 |
| Progression of symptoms | 3(10.7) | 6(31.6) | 9(19.1) | 0.129 |
| Addiction [heroin, methadone, and opium] | 4(14.3) | 5(26.3) | 9(19.1) | 0.453 |
| Type of the addiction | ||||
| Heroine | 1(3.6) | 0(0.0) | 1(2.1) | 0.643 |
| Methadone | 0(0.0) | 1(5.3) | 1(2.1) | |
| Opium | 2(7.1) | 4(21.1) | 6(12.8) | |
| Alcohol | 2(7.1) | 1(5.3) | 3(6.4) | 1.000 |
| Smoking | 5(17.9) | 5(26.3) | 10(21.3) | 0.496 |
| OCP use | 1(7.7) | 0(0.0) | 1(5.3) | 1.000 |
| Infection | 3(10.7) | 1(5.3) | 4(8.5) | 0.638 |
| Intercourse | 0(0.0) | 0(0.0) | 0(0.0) | - |
| Exercise | 2(7.1) | 1(5.3) | 3(6.4) | 1.000 |
| Cough | 3(10.7) | 1(5.3) | 4(8.5) | 0.638 |
| Delivery | 0(0.0) | 0(0.0) | 0(0.0) | - |
| Previous Headache/ Migraine | 6(21.4) | 4(21.1) | 10(21.3) | 1.000 |
| Hypertension | 4(14.2) | 2(10.5) | 6(12.7) | 0.705 |
| Diabetes | 1(3.5) | 2(10.5) | 3(6.3) | 0.338 |
| Trauma | 8(28.6) | 5(26.3) | 13(27.7) | 0.865 |
| Type of the trauma | ||||
| Minor | 3(37.5) | 1(20.0) | 4(30.8) | 1.000 |
| Major | 5(62.5) | 4(80.0) | 9(69.2) | |
| Vasculitis result | ||||
| Negative | 11(84.6) | 9(100.0) | 20(90.9) | 0.494 |
| Positive | 2(15.4) | 0(0) | 2(9.1) | |
| Homocysteine result | ||||
| Negative | 10(76.9) | 9(100.0) | 19(86.4) | 0.240 |
| Positive | 3(23.1) | 0(0.0) | 3(13.6) | |
| Medication | ||||
| Double anti platelet | 21(75.0) | 16(84.2) | 37(78.7) | 0.718 |
| Anti-coagulant | 7(25.0) | 3(15.8) | 10(21.3) | |
| New headaches after dissection | 8(28.6) | 8(42.1) | 16(34.0) | 0.337 |
| Change in the pattern of headaches | 3(50.0) | 2(50.0) | 5(50.0) | 1.000 |
| Vascular findings | ||||
| Significant stenosis | 3(17.6) | 2(16.7) | 5(17.2) | 0.808 |
| Mobile clot | 2(11.8) | 0(0.0) | 2(6.9) | |
| Total occlusion | 12(70.6) | 10(83.3) | 22(75.9) | |
| Imaging findings | ||||
| Cerebellar infarct | 0(0.0) | 8(42.1) | 8(17.0) | < 0.001 |
| Brain stem | 0(0.0) | 9(47.4) | 9(19.1) | |
| Hemispheric | 25(89.3) | 1(5.3) | 26(55.3) | |
| Bilateral | 2(7.1) | 1(5.3) | 3(6.4) | |
| No infarct | 1(3.6) | 0(0.0) | 1(2.1) | |
ICAD Internal Carotid Artery Dissection, VAD Vertebral Artery Dissection, mRS Modified Rankin scale, OCP Oral Contraceptive Pill. Percentages are listed in parentheses
†: resulted from Chi-square test (or Fisher’s exact test when expected frequencies were less than 5) for categorical variables and Mann–Whitney’s test for continues variables