Epidemiology of cervical artery dissection.

The diagnosis of cervical artery dissection has become routine. In young patients, spontaneous CAD is the cause of up to one-fourth of strokes. The incidence of spontaneous CAD is approximately 5 per 100,000 per year and is highest in autumn. The long-term recurrence rate is only approximately 1% per year, but it is higher in patients with familial arterial disease.