Vertebral arteriovenous fistula (AVF), a complication of a vertebral artery injury
(VAI), is a rare but serious complication of upper cervical spine fixation surgery.
We report a case of a 59-year-old female patient who had a vertebral AVF following
transpedicular occipitocervical fixation surgery. Endovascular embolization of the
AVF was successfully performed using ethylene vinyl alcohol. From this case we learned
that preoperative evaluation of the course of the vertebral artery is necessary, and
vertebral artery embolism is an effective and safe method to treat vertebral AVF after
proof of a patent second vertebral artery.
Keywords
vertebral arteriovenous fistula - vertebral artery injury - cervical spine - fixation
