Vertebral Artery Dissections With Concurrent Intracranial Hemorrhage: A Case Series of 13 Patients Among a Cohort of 301

Vertebral artery dissections (VADs) are a rare cause of ischemic stroke that can occasionally lead to intracranial hemorrhage (ICH). This study aims to identify differences in predisposing factors, event characteristics, and outcomes between patients with only a VAD and patients with VAD and concomitant ICH. We conducted a retrospective chart review of 301 patients who presented with VADs at our institution from 2004–2018. A total of 13 patients were identified with VAD and concomitant ICH. Data were collected on demographics, event characteristics, treatments, and neurologic outcomes, measured using the modified Rankin Scale (mRS). VAD+ICH and VAD-only groups were similar in terms of age, sex, and recorded comorbidities. Additionally, etiology of the dissections did not seem to vary between groups (P = 0.6), even when selecting for traumatic causes such as motor vehicle accidents (P = 0.22) and violence (P = 0.25). Concomitant strokes and aneurysms/pseudoaneurysms occurred in similar proportions as well, but cervical fractures were more common in the VAD+ICH group (P = 0.003). Using the mRS as a measure of neurological outcome, we found that the VAD+ICH group had worse neurologic function at discharge, 3-month follow-up, and last follow-up (P