Internal carotid artery dissection following chiropractic treatment in a pregnant woman with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Abstract

A case of internal carotid artery dissection in a pregnant woman with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) immediately following chiropractic treatment is presented. The literature regarding complications of neck manipulation during pregnancy, spontaneous dissection of craniocervical arteries in pregnancy and the postpartum period, and dissection of craniocervical arteries in SLE are reviewed. To the best of the author's knowledge, this is the first case of carotid artery dissection following chiropractic treatment in a pregnant woman published in the literature. © 2012 Morton; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.