Dissection of the internal carotid artery after SCUBA-diving: a case report and review of the literature.

INTRODUCTION: Dissections of the internal carotid arteries are a well known complication of cervical trauma. Neurologic symptoms in patients after SCUBA-diving are often associated with gas embolism or decompression illness. CASE REPORT: This report presents a rare case of carotid artery dissection immediately after SCUBA-diving in a 37-year-old woman, with left-side facial paresthesias and left-cervical pain as the first symptoms after SCUBA-diving without rapid ascent to the water-surface. DISCUSSION: A review of the literature focuses on symptoms, morphologic aspects, and therapeutic options in reported cases of cervical artery dissection after SCUBA-diving.