Carotid dissection
Stroke is the loss of brain function due to blocked blood
circulation to the brain. Strokes may be caused by an uncommon type
of narrowing, obstruction, or leak in the lining of the carotid
artery. This leaking of blood into the artery wall (dissection) may
cause a clot to form, reducing blood flow and raising the risk of
stroke. The leak may arise from an injury to the neck, which means
strokes caused by carotid dissection may occur in young people as
well as older people.
Review Date: 2/19/2008
Reviewed By: Harvey Simon, MD, Editor-in-Chief, Associate Professor
of Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Physician, Massachusetts
General Hospital.
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