A Case of a Traumatic Vertebro-Jugular Arteriovenous Fistula

ABSTRACT

The vertebral artery is infrequently injured because it lies deep in the neck, surrounded for the most part by bony foramina. Vertebral artery injuries are caused by penetrating traumas, blunt traumas and iatrogenic injuries. Sequela of vertebral artery injury include arteriovenous (AV) fistulae, and pseudoaneurysms may appear months after injury. Angiography is currently the gold standard for evaluating vascular injuries, such as vertebral artery injuries, and can be therapeutic. A vertebral artery fistula can also be treated by operative ligation. We experienced a rare case of a vertebro-jugular AV fistula secondary to a cervical stab wound. In this case, the patient was successfully treated by coil embolization and glue injection during angiography, which was confirmed by a postangiograpy operation.