Cervical arterial dissection: clinical characteristics in a neurology service in São Paulo, Brazil.

Cervical arterial dissection accounts for only a small proportion of ischemic stroke but arouses scientific interest due to its wide clinical variability. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to evaluate its risk factors, outline its clinical characteristics, compare treatment with antiaggregation or anticoagulation, and explore the prognosis of patients with cervical arterial dissection. METHODS An observational, retrospective study using data from medical records on patients with cervical arterial dissection between January 2010 and August 2015.