Cervical vertebral artery injury caused by cervical blunt injury in a traffic accident, a case report

Abstract

  Blunt vertebral artery injuries are rare. They are difficult to diagnose initially without diagnostic symptoms. However, they may lead to delayed posterior cerebral circulation strokes and serious sequelae. It is necessary to screen such injuries effectively at the initial clinical examination because a delay in diagnosis and treatment may influence the prognosis unfavorably. We report the case of an 84‒year old woman who presented after a motor vehicle accident. She was diagnosed with rt. C2 transverse process fracture with extension into the transverse foramen and rt. blunt vertebral artery injury by CT angiography. Anticoagulation therapy was initiated immediately, but she demonstrated rt. cerebellar infarctions the next day. We then occluded her rt. vertebral artery with endovascular coil embolization.