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Benign arterial dissections of the posterior circulation

Eugenio Pozzati Division of Neurosurgery and Service of Neuroradiology, Bellaria Hospital, Bologna, Italy

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Roberto Padovani Division of Neurosurgery and Service of Neuroradiology, Bellaria Hospital, Bologna, Italy

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Anthony Fabrizi Division of Neurosurgery and Service of Neuroradiology, Bellaria Hospital, Bologna, Italy

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Luciano Sabattini Division of Neurosurgery and Service of Neuroradiology, Bellaria Hospital, Bologna, Italy

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Giulio Gaist Division of Neurosurgery and Service of Neuroradiology, Bellaria Hospital, Bologna, Italy

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Page Range:
69–72
Volume/Issue:
Volume 75: Issue 1
DOI link:
https://doi.org/10.3171/jns.1991.75.1.0069
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✓ Four young adults with spontaneous dissection of the vertebrobasilar system are reported. Clinically, two patients presented with subarachnoid hemorrhage and two with brain-stem ischemia. In two cases of ruptured arterial dissection of the posterior cerebral artery, angiography demonstrated fusiform and “sausage-like” dilatation of the involved vessel. In two cases of occlusive dissection of the basilar artery, angiography revealed the typical “string sign.” All four patients were treated conservatively: three survive in good clinical condition and one remains disabled. Follow-up angiograms showed spontaneous healing of the lesion with return to an almost normal arterial configuration in two cases; residual narrowing corresponding to the dissection was the most notable finding in the other two. It is recommended that, in a subset of neurologically stable patients, angiographic monitoring is undertaken to assess the tendency for spontaneous repair before surgical intervention is planned.

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Volume 75: Issue 1

Contributor Notes

Address reprint requests to: Eugenio Pozzati, Divisione di Neurochirurgia, Ospedale Bellaria, 40139 Bologna, Italy.
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