Spontaneous internal carotid artery dissection in a child diagnosed by high resolution vessel wall MRI.

Craniocervical dissection is one of the most common causes of stroke in children. Although the most common cause of dissection is trauma, spontaneous dissections in which no cause can be revealed may also occur. The diagnosis of this type of dissection in children can be challenging with the preferred non-invasive imaging methods (MRA, CTA). Intracranial vessel wall imaging is a promising novel method for identifying specific signs of dissection. We report an 11-year-old girl with spontaneous ICA dissection, whose diagnosis was confirmed by an MRI of the intracranial vessel wall. Vessel wall imaging has contributed substantially to the diagnosis and follow-up of this case.