The association of connective tissue disorders with cervical artery dissections

Curr Mol Med. 2009 Mar;9(2):210-4. doi: 10.2174/156652409787581547.

Abstract

A predisposing weakness of the vessel wall has been assumed in patients with spontaneous cervical artery dissections (sCAD). Skin biopsies from many patients with sCAD show mild connective tissue alterations. However, their assessment depends on an invasive and highly specialized technique. Clinical signs of connective tissue disease are absent in the majority of CAD patients. In this review we document that only very few CAD patients are affected by known inherited connective tissue disorders like Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, Marfan syndrome or Osteogenesis Imperfecta. In a second part of this review we discuss the possible role of unrecognized or unknown forms of connective tissue disorders in the etiology of CAD.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Aortic Dissection / etiology
  • Aortic Dissection / pathology*
  • Blood Vessels / pathology*
  • Cervical Vertebrae
  • Connective Tissue Diseases / complications
  • Connective Tissue Diseases / pathology*
  • Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome / complications
  • Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome / pathology
  • Humans
  • Marfan Syndrome / complications
  • Marfan Syndrome / pathology
  • Osteogenesis Imperfecta / complications
  • Osteogenesis Imperfecta / pathology