Radicular nevralgia associated with two cases of vertebral artery dissection

Radicular symptoms of the upper limb and vertebral artery dissection are ra rely reported. The few cases related in the literature are generally associ ated with a peripheral motor and/or sensorial deficit in the territory of C 5-C7. We describe 2 patients with a radicular nevralgia without deficit, as the initial symptom. The delayed occurence of central neurological symptom s had suggested the diagnosis of vertebral artery dissection. In one case, it was an lateral medullary infarct and in the second case, an possible cer vical ischaemia of the spinal cord. The mechanism could be due to cervical root compression due to the mural hematoma or an cervical radicular ischemi a. Such a misleading presentation can lead to diagnostic and therapeutic de lays.