Abstracts & Literature Review 1

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Carotid Dissection from Weight
Lifting; A Case Study:
An Editorial Review. JACO 2010
Guruman Kalra, MD
Consultants Live.com Vol 49, No. 6 ©
2010

JACO Editorial Reviewer J. R. Brandt
DC, MPS, FACO

Published: March, 2010
Journal of the Academy of Chiropractic Orthopedists
March 2010, Volume 7, Issue 1
Received: February, 2010
Accepted: March, 2010

The original article copyright belong s to the original publisher. This review is available from: http://www.dcorthoacademy.com © 2010
Brandt and the Academy of Chiropractic Orthopedists. This is an Open Access article which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

JACO Editorial Summary

The presentation in this case is typical for headache and neck pain. The importance of the history of onset cannot be over looked. A 37 yr. old male weight lifter presents with headache and neck pain that began the day prior after lifting weights.

The following day he developed left side weakness and syncope with left side facial droop.

The patient was admitted to the hospital with diagnosis of stroke. CT angiogram revealed bilateral internal carotid dissection.

Carotid artery dissection associated with sports and other physical activities is an increasingly recognized, although still underestimated, cause of stroke in young patients. Sports-related carotid dissection typically occurs in older patients (aged 40-45 years). Weight lifting is an uncommon cause of sports-related carotid dissection. In this case, the patient was advised to stop weight lifting.

CONCLUSION:

Clinicians should be alert to young athletes with headache, facial droop, neck pain, unilateral extremity weakness and bouts of syncope.

REFERENCES:

1. Norris JW, Brandt T, Management of Cervical Arterial Dissection. Int J Stroke. 2006; 1-59-64.
2. Cervical Artery Dissection in Stroke Study Trial Investigators. Antiplatelet therapy vs anticoagulation in cervical artery dissection: rationale and design of the Cervical Artery
   Dissection in Stroke Study (CAISS) Int J Stroke. 07; 2:292-296.
3. Dharmasaroja P, Dharmasaroja P. Sport-related internal carotid artery dissection: athogenesis and therapeutic point of view. Neurologist 2008; 14: 307-311.