Certain bulges due to neck artery tears do not increase immediate stroke risk within the first six months of diagnosis.
Latest research found that developing a dissecting aneurysm spontaneously (a bulge caused by a tear in the inner lining of the artery), does not heighten the risk of an ischemic stroke within the first six months after the aneurysm diagnosis.
The findings are based on a new study from the American Stroke Association’s International Stroke Conference 2026 that offers major encouragement for patients with Cervical Artery Dissection (CeAD), also known as a neck artery tear.(1✔ ✔Trusted Source
Tear in inner lining of neck artery may not raise stroke risk in first 6 months of diagnosis
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While a neck artery tear is a leading cause of stroke in adults (under age 50), the research suggests that the presence of an aneurysm doesn’t increase the stroke risk immediately. Scientists advocate more relaxed follow-up imaging routines, decreasing the urge for frequent scans for the patients recovering from a CeAD.
Patients who experience a Cervical Artery Dissection (CAD) in the serious first event, may face a very low risk of a second tear or subsequent ischemic strokes, that are rarely caused by the remaining arterial bulges or lesions.(2✔ ✔Trusted Source
Risk of stroke and recurrent dissection after a cervical artery dissection
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The study indicates that for most patients, a neck artery tear does not significantly spike stroke risk during the crucial six-month recovery period.(3✔ ✔Trusted Source
Treatment and Outcomes of Cervical Artery Dissection in Adults: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association
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Expert Highlights the Lack of Scientific Information on Dissecting Aneurysm Care
“We have little scientific information about dissecting aneurysm, including how to best diagnose, monitor aneurysm growth and manage the health of people with dissecting aneurysms,” said study author Muhib Khan, M.D., M.B.B.S., an associate professor in neurology at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.
“We leveraged a large dataset from a global registry to provide a comprehensive overview of dissecting aneurysm diagnosis, monitoring and outcomes.”
In the Antithrombotics for Stroke Prevention in Cervical Artery Dissection (STOP-CAD) subanalysis, researchers performed a secondary analysis of data from the STOP-CAD study, a multicenter, international study.
CeAD patients were stratified for the presence of dissecting aneurysm, and researchers examined data for signs that the aneurysm was growing and to identify factors associated with dissecting aneurysm.
Migraines and Neck Trauma are the Associated Risk Factors of Dissecting Aneurysm
Dissecting aneurysm is common in people with CeAD and generally is not life-threatening in the short term (first 6 months). Of more than 4,000 participants with CeAD, about one in five (or 19%) developed a dissecting aneurysm.
People with a dissecting aneurysm were more likely to have a history of migraines, connective tissue disorders and minor neck trauma before the dissection. These risk factors may assist clinicians in monitoring for the development of dissecting aneurysms.
People with CeAD and dissecting aneurysms did not have a higher risk of having a stroke compared to those with CeAD but no dissecting aneurysms.
Among those who had a dissecting aneurysm, about 10% showed growth of the aneurysm over 6 months. However, dissecting aneurysm growth also did not lead to a higher risk of stroke.
Neck Artery Bulges Don’t Raise Short-Term Stroke or Death Risks
“Reassuringly, dissecting aneurysm formation was not related to hemorrhagic stroke or increased mortality either,” said study co-author Zafer Keser, M.D., an associate professor in neurology at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.
“Our study provides important information to help health care professionals better monitor and manage patients during the first six months after diagnosis of an aneurysm.”
A limitation of this study was that it relied on the review of the images by radiologists and trained neurologists; however, there was no standardized and centralized process for assessing how patients fared during the initial months after diagnosis.
The analysis also looked back in time (the retrospective design) at the health information for the STOP-CAD study. A year-long study that closely follows patients over time and clearly outlines treatment methods, as well as how researchers interpret the images, would help confirm their results, researchers said.
Low Stroke Risks May Reduce the Need for Frequent Follow-up Imaging
“The study adds to existing evidence that suggests cervical artery dissections have a low risk of recurrent stroke,” said former chair of the International Stroke Conference, Louise D. McCullough, M.D., Ph.D., FAHA.
“Having a dissecting aneurysm may not be as scary as we initially thought. It helps us and our patients understand that although there is damage to the artery of the neck that their rate of recurrent stroke is low, and that’s reassuring.
“The results could have practical implications, as well. Often, we follow these patients with a lot of imaging that we may not need to do quite as often. These results will probably give us a little bit of pause if we’re thinking about doing an intervention such as placing a carotid stent — which would require chronic antiplatelets — if we know the risk of recurrent strokes in patients with dissecting aneurysms is low,” said McCullough, the Roy M. and Phyllis Gough Huffington Distinguished Chair of Neurology at McGovern Medical School.
Reference:
- Tear in inner lining of neck artery may not raise stroke risk in first 6 months of diagnosis – (https://newsroom.heart.org/news/tear-in-inner-lining-of-neck-artery-may-not-raise-stroke-risk-in-first-6-months-of-diagnosis?preview=5727&preview_mode=True)
- Risk of stroke and recurrent dissection after a cervical artery dissection – (https://www.neurology.org/doi/10.1212/01.WNL.0000094325.95097.86)
- Treatment and Outcomes of Cervical Artery Dissection in Adults: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association – (https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/STR.0000000000000457)
Source-Eurekalert