Spontaneous dissection of the carotid and vertebral arteries.

The carotid color Doppler ultrasound is usually the first imaging modality employed for the assessment of patients with cerebrovascular symptoms. The recognition of the distal stenoocclusive flow pattern is key for the detection of spontaneous dissection of the internal carotid and vertebral arteries in young patients who present cerebral ischaemic signs. We present six cases of patients whose diagnosis was initially suggested by carotid color Doppler ultrasound.