Arterial Dissection

Signs and Symptoms
Diagnosis
Treatment

Diagnosis

Because the vast majority of children with an arterial dissection experience symptoms of ischemic strokes, it is important that in addition to being evaluated for stroke, your child also be tested for an underlying arterial dissection. In the past, arterial dissections have been considered rare in children, although this may be due in part to missed diagnosis. Advances in imagining diagnostic tools, such as magnetic resonance angiography, have greatly improved the ability to accurately diagnose arterial dissections.

Magnetic Resonance Angiography (MRA) is a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) study of the blood vessels. Using a strong magnetic field, a MRI can generate a three-dimensional image of the brain that can be used to detect, diagnose and aid the treatment of various conditions. A MRA provides detailed images of blood vessels. The procedure is painless, and the magnetic field is not known to cause tissue damage of any kind.

Reviewed by health care specialists at UCSF Children's Hospital.
Last updated August 15, 2007