Traumatic aneurysm of the extracranial vertebral artery

Aneurysms of the extracranial vertebral artery are rare because of the protection afforded by the bony canal, and the literature contains only a few limited reports on this subject. In the view of its rarity, we present the case of a 20-year-old soldier with a traumatic aneurysm of the vertebral artery at the C-2 level. Because of occlusion of the ipsilateral carotid artery, reconstruction of the vertebral artery by autogenous vein graft was undertaken through a posterior approach; because of inadequate mobilization of the artery, continuity was preserved using aneurysmorrhaphy. The literature is reviewed, and the various treatments are discussed.