Spontaneous cervical artery dissection and fibromuscular dysplasia: Epidemiologic and biologic evidence of a mutual relationship

Cervical artery dissection (CeAD) is the most common cause of ischemic stroke in young and middle-aged adults. Over the last decade, a relation between CeAD and fibromuscular dysplasia (FMD), an idiopathic, segmental, non-atherosclerotic and non-inflammatory arterial disease, has been suggested based on a number of epidemiologic observations, while preliminary data support the idea that the two conditions may share common biologic mechanisms. In this article, we review the literature on the relation between CeAD and FMD, focus on the potential pathogenetic mechanisms common to the two conditions, summarize clinical features, management and outcome, and provide support to the hypothesis that the coexistence of the two diseases in one individual might be conceptualized as a distinct non-atherosclerotic non-inflammatory arteriopathy.

Symptomatic carotid stenosis in the setting of bilateral disease and coexisting carotid body tumor: management with a carotid stent and staged excision

The aim of the paper is to describe the management of a patient with bilateral carotid artery stenosis, symptomatic on the left, with coexisting left carotid body tumor with left carotid stenting followed by right carotid endarterectomy and excision of carotid body tumor. A 60-year-old man with significant bilateral carotid stenosis was referred to us with symptomatic left carotid disease and concomitant left carotid body tumor. A Precise nitinol carotid stent (Cordis Endovascular, Miami Lakes, FL, USA) was placed in his left carotid artery followed by interval carotid endarterectomy on the right. Excision of the carotid body tumor was then performed. Carotid stenting is a treatment option in patients with carotid stenosis and coexisting carotid body tumor. To our knowledge, this is the first reported carotid stent for symptomatic carotid stenosis in a patient with a concomitant carotid body tumor.