Cervical artery dissection.

Spontaneous and traumatic cervical artery dissection is a common cause of stroke in the young. It generally carries an excellent prognosis if treatment is initiated early. Antiplatelet therapy may be as effective as or safer than warfarin, although no randomized prospective studies have addressed the issue of optimal medical therapy. Rarely, endovascular therapy may be indicated for the treatment of ruptured aneurysms or to prevent recurrent ischemia.