Spontaneous artery dissection in a patient with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection

The relationship between human immunodeficiency virus infection and stroke may be attributed in some cases to an underlying vasculopathy such as in spontaneous cervical arteries dissections. We report the case of an HIV-infected patient who developed a Wallemberg's syndrome due to a vertebral artery dissection. Screening laboratory exams showed hyperhomocysteinemia and also high C-reactive protein plasma levels. This is the first case describing the association between arterial dissection (AD) and HIV-infection. We suggest that AD should also be remembered as a possible mechanism of ischemic stroke in HIV-infected patients.