[Dissections of the vertebral artery following cervical chiropractic manipulations]

In a 37-year-old female patient complaining of increasing pain in the neck and occiput, chiropractic manipulations at the cervical vertebral column were associated with ischaemias of the brain stem presenting as vertigo, transient "locked-in" syndrome followed by vomiting, and sensorimotor hemiparesis. Digital subtraction angiography (DSA) revealed complete obstruction of the right and slight dissection of the left vertebral artery. The symptoms receded within a few days after heparinisation with 1000 IU/h intravenously. A 39-year-old female patient developed vertigo, nystagmus, tetraparesis and dysarthria two days after chiropractic intervention because of refractory pain in the neck and occiput. DSA showed embolism of the basilar artery and extensive dissections of the vertebral arteries. The basilar artery was completely recanalized after local intraarterial fibrinolysis with 50,000 IU urokinase. During the further course of treatment the symptoms receded under heparin and phenprocoumon over a period of 8 months, except for hemiparesis on the left side especially affecting the arm. Trivial traumas can result in dissections of the vertebral arteries. Severe neck pain is a frequent, typical early symptom. Hence, patients with cervical vertebral column syndromes should receive chiropractic treatment only after careful diagnosis.