K. Hongo et al., VERTEBRAL ARTERY SECTION FOR TREATING ARTERIAL COMPRESSION OF THE MEDULLA-OBLONGATA - CASE-REPORT, Journal of neurosurgery, 79(1), 1993, pp. 116-118
A case of a 30-year-old man who showed progressive pyramidal tract sig
ns caused by compression of the left vertebral artery is presented. In
itial decompression of the vertebral artery by placing a piece of spon
ge between the artery and medulla had no long-term effect. The left ve
rtebral artery distal to the origin of the posterior inferior cerebell
ar artery was then sectioned, decompressing the medulla oblongata. The
patient's symptoms improved postoperatively. This is the first report
ed case of brain-stem compression by an elongated vertebral artery tre
ated by sectioning of the artery.