Pediatric blunt vertebral artery injury: case report and treatment plan

Aggressive screening for blunt cerebrovascular injuries in patients with trauma has led to the identification and successful treatment of these injuries. We report the case of an 8-year-old boy who sustained a vertebral artery injury after a motor vehicle collision. Computed tomography angiogram showed an 8-mm thrombosed segment of the vertebral artery. The patient was initially anticoagulated with a heparin drip and transitioned over to treatment with enoxaparin sodium (Lovenox). With few reports in the literature of blunt cerebrovascular injuries in the pediatric population, a review of the appropriate screening parameters, treatment plans, and follow-up is helpful for the practicing physician.