Clinical Features

Clinical features also occur through two mechanisms:

• Both a low flow through a stenosed vessel and intimal damage can cause thrombus formation. This leads to embolic neurological sequelae
• The haematoma, with or without aneurysm formation, can cause symptoms from compression of adjacent structures

The development of a cervical artery dissection is usually associated with either trauma or connective tissue disease and most commonly occurs between 35-45 years of age.

The trauma involved can be trivial and there have been reports of cases following sneezing and yoga.