Vertebral Artery Dissection Stroke

Abstract

Vertebral artery dissection is a cause of stroke in young patients. It often occurs spontaneously and is sometimes accompanied by a history of sudden neck movement or trauma. The stroke developing presents mostly as a Wallenburg syndrome or depending on the area of compromise involved. We highlight here a case of bilateral Wallenburgs syndrome, associated with a right Vertebral artery dissection compromising the basilar artery. Our patient is a 55 year old man who developed left sided hemiparesis and bilateral truncal and limb ataxia on presentation. It is important to recognize this as a cause of stroke in young patients because timely intervention as been associated with minimal morbidity and near full recovery in most cases.