Traumatic arteriovenous fistulas of the vertebral artery.

Arteriovenous fistulas of the vertebral artery are uncommon. Trauma, arterial erosion by abscess and congenital weakness of the arterial wall are the most frequent cause of these fistulas. Few of them have been reported following percutaneous puncture of the vertebral artery. Two such cases, as well as an exceptionnel false traumatic aneurysm of the V4 segment of the vertebral artery in front of a fracture of the occipital bone, are described here. The latter patient also has a malformation of the craniovertebral joint.