Spontaneous vertebral artery dissection in an elder patient: A case report

Abstract

Vertebrobasilar artery dissection (VBD) is a rare cause of posterior ischemic strokes. It is more likely to occur in young patients with a history of traumatism or hereditary connective tissue disorders. Spontaneous VBD is rare, especially in elder patients. This paper aims to report the case of an old patient that presented with a posterior ischemic stroke due to a spontaneous vertebral artery dissection (SVAD), linked to atherosclerosis. The diagnosis of SVAD was made by Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) which is the gold standard technique to diagnose this pathology in a short time so the patient could receive adequate treatment.