Lateral medullary infarction secondary to vertebral artery dissection presenting as a trigeminal autonomic cephalalgia.

A 51-year-old woman had an attack of severe hemifacial pain with autonomic features as the presenting symptom of a lateral medullary infarction. A bilateral vertebral artery dissection was demonstrated. The existence of secondary cases may lead to a better understanding of the pathophysiology of trigeminal autonomic cephalalgias.