Pre-eclampsia Associated with Carotid Dissection and Stroke in a Young Woman

Received 17 February 2009; received in revised form 19 March 2009; accepted 26 March 2009.

Carotid dissection has rarely been described in pregnancy. We report a 24-year-old woman who developed an acute stroke 14 days postpartum after a complicated pregnancy. Her left internal carotid artery was found to be occluded, presumably secondary to a carotid dissection. Her neurologic symptoms resolved and she was treated with short-term warfarin therapy and blood pressure control.

Key Words: Pregnancy, stroke, internal carotid dissection, puerperium, pre-eclampsia

University of Florida College of Medicine–Jacksonville

Address correspondence to Doug B. Chapman, MD, 655 West Eighth Street, ACC Building, 5th floor, Jacksonville, FL.

PII: S1052-3057(09)00069-X

doi:10.1016/j.jstrokecerebrovasdis.2009.03.020

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