Bilateral carotid dissection and factor V mutation: A second case

A young woman 38 years of age underwent Doppler ultrasonography following t he spontaneous appearance of cervical pain causing loss of sleep. The exami nation revealed bilateral dissection of the internal carotid arteries, conf irmed by supraaortic arteriography. Two successive CT scans showed no cereb ral lesions. A thrombosis of the great saphenous vein was recorded as the o nly vascular event in her medical history. Thrombophilia was assessed follo wing discovery of the dissection, and upon examination a heterozygotic muta tion of Factor V Leiden was revealed. This observation is the second case o f carotid dissection occurring in a subject presenting a factor V mutation. At the present time, however, there are no results to justify the assumpti on of a direct link between these two pathologies. DOI:10.1007/s10016991009 3.