Introduction:

Carotid dissection consists of a tear in the vessel wall. It is a rare pathology, but it is the most common cause of ischemic cerebral vascular disease (CVD) in people under 45 years of age. The clinical manifestations are very variable.

Method:

We used CARE recommendations for reporting clinical cases.

Clinical case:

Previously, a healthy 45-year-old man with acute weakness of the right thoracic extremity without apparent cause. The simple skull tomography did not show any alterations. MRI showed complete occlusion of the internal carotid artery in all its segments and decreased flow of the left middle cerebral artery. The clinical evolution was unfavorable.

Conclusion:

Carotid dissection should be suspected in people with CVD without cardiovascular risk factors.