Traumatic laceration of the intracranial vertebral artery causing fatal subarachnoid hemorrhage: case report.

A 36-year-old man who had been drinking alcohol had a fatal subarachnoid hemorrhage immediately after suffering a moderate craniofacial injury. Autopsy revealed a 3-mm longitudinal laceration of the left intracranial vertebral artery proximal to the posterior inferior cerebellar artery. There was no finding of arterial dissection. We discuss the mechanisms of the traumatic laceration of the vertebral artery in relation to traumatic dissection of the vertebral artery.