Identification of internal carotid artery dissection in patients with Migraine — Case report and literature review

Although patho-physiology of spontaneous internal carotid artery dissection (sICAD) is largely unknown, an association with migraine has been suggested but not proven. Migraine is a condition which is worth considering while one is hunting a possible cause for internal carotid artery dissection (ICAD) and it may be found more often than expected. To date it remains a diagnosis of exclusion in patients with migraine. As opposed to migraine with aura, migraine without aura is significantly more frequent among patients with SICAD. It has been suggested that ICAD produces stroke in 36-68% of patients as a result of occlusion of the artery at or near the site of the dissection, or embolization occurring distally from a dislodged fragment of thrombus. We report a 31-year old woman with headache and ptosis as initial symptoms. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) confirmed the diagnosis. Prompt treatment was instituted with anti-platelet agents and the patient had complete resolution of symptoms. Our case report highlights the importance of identifying the patients with ICD with history of migraine, in the absence of other risk factors and adds to the sparse literature currently available on the subject.