Mechanical stress from hyoid bone as potential cause of ischemic stroke via carotid artery dissection: case report and systematic review

This case report describes a 46-year-old woman who experienced an acute ischemic stroke caused by internal carotid artery dissection, with imaging revealing direct contact between the dissected artery and the posterior horn of the hyoid bone. The authors argue that mechanical compression or microtrauma from hyoid bone anatomy may be a rare but identifiable anatomical risk factor for carotid dissection and subsequent stroke.