Symptoms vary depending on the extent and location of the dissection and may include a sudden, severe headache, neck or facial pain, vision changes, a drooping eyelid (Horner's syndrome), and stroke-like symptoms such as weakness or numbness on one side of the body, difficulty speaking, or loss of coordination.

Carotid artery dissection can occur spontaneously or be triggered by trauma, including minor injuries, certain medical conditions, or activities that involve neck movement.

Treatment options often include medications like anticoagulants or antiplatelet agents to prevent blood clot formation and reduce the risk of stroke.

In more severe cases, surgical or endovascular interventions, such as stenting or angioplasty, may be required to restore proper blood flow.

Early detection and treatment are crucial for improving outcomes, though the prognosis can vary based on the extent of the dissection and the presence of complications.

Dissection may occur after direct physical trauma, traffic collision, strangulation, or any phenomenon that causes hyperextension of the neck.

[8][11] Once considered uncommon, spontaneous carotid artery dissection is an increasingly recognized cause of stroke that preferentially affects the middle-aged.

[15] Observational studies and case reports published since the early 1980s show that patients with spontaneous internal carotid artery dissection may also have a history of stroke in their family and/or hereditary connective tissue disorders, such as Marfan syndrome, Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease, pseudoxanthoma elasticum, fibromuscular dysplasia, and osteogenesis imperfecta type I.

An estimated 0.67% of patients admitted to the hospital after major motor vehicle accidents were found to have blunt carotid injury, including intimal dissections, pseudoaneurysms, thromboses, or fistulas.

This tear allows blood to enter the space between the inner and outer layers of the vessel, leading to either narrowing (stenosis) or complete occlusion.

[26] In cases of complete occlusion, symptoms may not always be evident due to the presence of collateral circulation, which helps to adequately perfuse the brain.