Stroke is the death of brain tissue due to blocked blood circulation to the brain. Strokes may be caused by an uncommon type of narrowing, due to leakage of blood into the lining of the carotid artery. This leaking of blood into the artery wall (dissection) may cause a clot to form, reducing blood flow and raising the risk of stroke. The leak may arise from an injury to the neck, which means strokes caused by carotid dissection may occur in young people as well as older people.
Review Date:
4/15/2019 Reviewed By: Joseph V. Campellone, MD, Department of Neurology, Cooper Medical School at Rowan University, Camden, NJ. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team. |