Cerebellar infarction from a traumatic vertebral artery dissection in a child

Infarction due to vertebral dissection is a rarely reported event in children. We describe the clinical presentation, radiological findings and surgical treatment of a child with cerebellar infarction resulting from a traumatic vertebral artery dissection. Review of the literature on stroke due to a vertebral artery dissection in the pediatric population shows that trauma is a common preceding event. Although the most common site of traumatic vertebral artery dissection is at C1–2 level, our case illustrates that the vertebral artery dissection may also involve the lower cervical segment. We emphasize that vertebral artery dissection should be considered in a child with acute symptoms and signs of posterior circulation ischemia and that MRI and MR angiography may be helpful in the diagnosis of infarction and vertebral artery dissection.