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In a cohort of 249 patients with 268 spontaneous carotid artery dissections, these authors asked how often, when, and to what extent the arterial lumen reopened and whether any factors predicted reopening.
During the acute clinical presentation (a median of 2 days after symptom onset), 125 (47%) of the dissected arteries were occluded, 20 (7.5%) had ≤50% narrowing, 31 (12%) had 51% to 80% narrowing, and 92 (34%) had 81% to 99% luminal compromise. Two thirds of the patients were treated with anticoagulants; one fourth with aspirin. Patients were followed up clinically and by ultrasound at 3, 6, and 12 months.
Among the arteries that were originally occluded, 49 (39%) remained occluded. One patient with initially moderate arterial narrowing and…