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Hakan Aydin, Bülent Koçer, Okan Okçu, Ünal Sakinci
CaseRepClinPractRev 2006; 7:258-262
ID: 467972
Background: Vertebral artery injuries are rare entities following penetrating neck traumas. Arterial and venous trauma of the cervicothoracic region continues to present challenging problems for the surgeon, despite advances in vascular diagnostics and surgical technique.
Case Report: In this report, we discuss a case of vertebral artery injury resulting in Horner’s Syndrome, repaired surgically through the vertically extended classic thyroidectomy incision without need for proximal control, which is usually done with sternotomy.
Conclusions: This way of approach we think, is valuable for vascular exposure of these kind of complex penetrating injuries to the neck as it prevents sternotomy incision. Management of these kind of rare vascular injuries are discussed with surgical anatomy, preoperative diagnostic tools and alternative methods of treatment. This article discusses the problems and controversies in the assessment of penetrating injuries of the neck and reasons for Horner’s Syndrome.