Volume 17, Issue 1 , Pages 61-65, January 2008
Internal carotid artery dissection: an unusual cause of postpartum headache
Summary
We report a case of postpartum headache caused by internal carotid artery dissection in a 36-year-old woman following uneventful epidural analgesia for spontaneous labor and vaginal delivery. Cervicocerebral arterial dissection requires rapid diagnosis and anticoagulation to prevent thrombus formation and to avoid secondary cerebral thromboembolism. Fortunately, our patient suffered ischemic symptoms, but no permanent neurologic deficit. Anesthesiologists should consider carotid artery dissection in the differential diagnosis of postpartum headache.
Keywords: Postpartum headache, Post-dural puncture headache, Carotid artery dissection, Pregnancy, Obstetric: Epidural analgesia, Complications, Anesthetic techniques
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All support provided by Department of Anesthesiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-0048, USA.
PII: S0959-289X(07)00099-4
doi:10.1016/j.ijoa.2007.04.003
© 2007 Published by Elsevier Inc.
Volume 17, Issue 1 , Pages 61-65, January 2008
