Internal carotid artery dissection and stroke after SCUBA diving: a case report and review of the literature

Abstract

Serious neurological complications after diving have increased in the last years because of its increased popularity [1, 2, 5, 7]. Dangerous neurological complications such as ischemic stroke reflecting an acute central nervous system pathology are frequently associated with a dysbaric air embolism or decompression sickness (Caisson’s disease), but may also include rarer causes [8]. Due to unspecific clinical presentation, the differential diagnosis of diving-related neurological symptoms may be difficult. A dissection of cervical arteries in young to middle-aged scuba divers has rarely been described. We describe a patient with internal carotid artery dissection after scuba diving, who presented at the emergency department with subacute embolic strokes. In addition, we also summarize the published reports to date of cervical artery dissections associated with scuba diving.