[Imaging of cervical arterial dissections: multi-center study and review of the literature].
Multiple imaging techniques are available to diagnose cervical arterial dissections. It may be possible to image the vessel wall hematoma (US, MRI, 2D or 3D MRA source images, CTA source images), the narrowed arterial lumen (MRA, CTA, catheter angiography), or the hemodynamic impact of the affected vessel. There is no available guideline in the literature regarding the imaging work-up at diagnosis or follow-up. The Société Française Neurovasculaire and the Société Française de Neuroradiologie have sponsored a multi-center study to evaluate current imaging strategies. Results from several centers, while being variable, do share some similarities: the preferred use of non-invasive or minimally invasive techniques to evaluate the vessel wall and the vascular lumen and/or hemodynamic impact, the use of fat suppressed sequences at MRI, the use of Gadolinium enhanced MRA, the limited interest for CT techniques, and the still important use of catheter angiography in selected cases.