Cervical spine trauma: a cause of vertebral artery injury

Blunt injury to the neck can cause hemorrhage and pseudoaneurysm formation. A 76-year-old patient with severe blunt injury to the anterior neck was found to have entrapment of the left vertebral artery at C2-C3. Arch aortography 3 weeks postinjury revealed a large aneurysm at the injury site. The mass was surgically reduced, followed by ligation of the artery 9 days later, which resulted in prompt elimination of the mass and its accompanying bruit. Rapid recognition of this injury depends on early carotid and vertebral artery angiography.