How serious is artery dissection?

Spontaneous coronary artery dissection — sometimes referred to as SCAD — is an uncommon emergency condition that occurs when a tear forms in a blood vessel in the heart. SCAD can slow or block blood flow to the heart, causing a heart attack, abnormalities in heart rhythm or sudden death.

Do dissected arteries heal?

In many cases, the dissection will seal itself off or heal over time. Follow-up imaging often is performed to assess healing progress.

How common is artery dissection?

The annual incidence of symptomatic spontaneous internal carotid artery dissection is 2.5-3 per 100,000. The incidence of carotid artery dissection as a result of blunt injuries (mainly high-speed motor vehicle accidents) ranges from less than 1% to 3%.

What causes a dissected artery?

Arterial dissections happen when the inside wall of your artery tears. Blood gets in the tear and separates the layers of the artery wall. This dissection creates a weak spot that can lead to a life-threatening leak.

Can you survive SCAD?

Doctors used to view SCAD as frequently fatal but now think the mortality rate is low, ranging between 1% and 5%. But SCAD happens again more than previously believed, returning in more than 20% of people followed for a decade. Early and proper diagnosis is crucial to save lives and prevent sudden cardiac death.

Is an artery dissection painful?

Pain is the initial symptom of a spontaneous internal carotid artery dissection presenting to a physician. Headache (including neck and facial pain) is usually described as constant and severe and is commonly ipsilateral to the dissected artery.

Can a dissection cause a stroke?

What are possible complications of carotid dissection? A carotid dissection can cause problems with blood flow to your brain or eyes. This can cause a TIA, stroke, or one-sided blindness. All of these are medical emergencies.

What is the survival rate of SCAD?

Initial reviews of SCAD reported a mortality rate of 70% (11). More recently, the outcome of SCAD has been reported to be more favourable (6,12), with one review suggesting a survival rate of 82% (8). Our patient’s outcome has been remarkably good.

How common is SCAD?

SCAD can occur at any age, but most cases occur in otherwise healthy people between the ages of 30 and 50. SCAD is far more common in women than men. In one study of 440 cases of SCAD that occurred at a single hospital between 1931 and 2008, 98 percent involved women.

What causes arterial dissection?

Arterial dissection can occur as a result of head or neck trauma (either serious or minor), but sometimes it has no identifiable cause. Certain medical conditions, such as Marfan syndrome, Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, coarctation of the aorta and inflammatory disorders can weaken the blood vessel walls,…

What are the symptoms of a torn aorta?

It can be difficult to differentiate the signs and symptoms of torn aorta from those of the impaired heart conditions, such as heart attack. The most common symptoms of these conditions are chest pain and pain in the upper back.

What is the prognosis of carotid artery dissection?

Carotid Artery Dissection Prognosis More than half of the patients who have had carotid artery dissection are noticed to suffer from neurological problems throughout their life. 1 percent of the patients have high chances of developing a tear over time within a span of 10 years .

What are the signs and symptoms of carotid artery dissection?

– Headache with pain in the neck and face, or symptoms similar to those of a migraine – Pulsatile tinnitus, or hearing one’s own heartbeat