{Reference Type}: Journal Article
{Title}: Fractured cervical spine, dissected vertebral artery, and life-threatening stroke: A challenging case report and literature review.
{Author}: Choucha A;Barraque T;Meyer M;Dufour H;Farah K;Fuentes S;
{Journal}: Neurochirurgie
{Volume}: 70
{Issue}: 4
{Year}: 2024 Jul 16
{Factor}: 1.725
{DOI}: 10.1016/j.neuchi.2024.101561
{Abstract}: <B>BACKGROUND: </B>Vertebral artery injury (VAI) following blunt trauma can lead to acute or delayed life-threatening posterior fossa ischemic stroke. Its management raises controversial issues and is still open to debate.<BR><B>METHODS: </B>We report the case of a 48-year-old male who presented a life-threatening posterior circulation ischemic stroke, secondary to a vertebral artery dissection caused by a cervical spine fracture. This case was successfully managed through intravenous thrombolysis and endovascular thrombectomy followed by antiplatelet therapy and an anterior cervical discectomy and fusion. At the one-year follow-up, the patient had no persisting deficit and was back working as a policeman.<BR><B>CONCLUSIONS: </B>Rapid management of patients with dramatic clinical presentation can lead to full recovery. Implications include a systematic screening of blunt trauma VAI through computed tomography angiography when dealing with high-risk cervical spine fractures; patients harboring both a cervical spine fracture and a VAI must be transferred to a tertiary referral hospital able to deal both with strokes and cervical spine surgery to ensure responsiveness in case of stroke.