Multiple Cervical Artery Dissection in a Volleyball Player

Cerebrum-cervical arterial dissection in adults during sports and recreation

“…Recognition of this medical emergency is essential and the literature on the subject is, at present, very poor. A comprehensive review of the literature showed that, so far, only isolated cases or small series have been publish ed 2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24 . Of all the sports potentially related to cerebrum-cervical arterial dissection, scuba diving 25 and martial arts 20,21,22 are those that are most often mentioned in the literature.…”

“…Soccer 2 , diving 3,4 , wakeboarding 5 , golf 6 , treadmill running 7 , horse riding 8 , snowboarding 9 , physical fitness testing 10 , triathlon 11 , heavy weight-lifting 12,13 , volleyball 14 , basketball 15 , skating 16 , gymnastics 17 , tennis 18 and martial arts 19,20,21,22 are examples of these cases found in the literature. Even virtual sports, practiced using the Wii device, have been correlated with arterial dissections of the neck 23 .…”

Some Unusual Sports-Related Neurologic Conditions

“…Dissection of the cervical arteries (carotid and vertebral) has been reported in a wide variety of sports, including softball, 19 mixed martial arts, 20 volleyball, 21 football, 20 cycling, 20 soccer, 23 weightlifting, 20 ice hockey, 20 diving, 24 and even using a video sports game. Dissection of the cervical arteries (carotid and vertebral) has been reported in a wide variety of sports, including softball, 19 mixed martial arts, 20 volleyball, 21 football, 20 cycling, 20 soccer, 23 weightlifting, 20 ice hockey, 20 diving, 24 and even using a video sports game.…”

“…27 However, case reports in athletes do not appear to be correlated with such risk factors. 21,25,27,28,30 MRI may show signal abnormalities associated with cerebellar, cortical, or brainstem infarction; periventricular white matter hyperintensities; or hematoma. 20 Extracranial internal carotid artery dissections involving stretch, traction, extension, or rotation on the internal carotid artery as it crosses the transverse process of the C2 and C3 vertebrae have been reported in individuals participating in soccer, football, hockey, volleyball, tennis, cycling, scuba diving, and golfing.…”

“…19Y31 Intracranial arterial dissections usually occur in the subintima and are associated with a more severe course and long-term prognosis. 21,25,27,28,30 Hyperintensity of the vessel wall may be seen on axial T1-weighted images. 20,28 A direct blow to the neck can also result in transmural crush of the artery resulting in secondary injury, thrombus formation, and distal embolization.…”