Skip to main content
Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry logoLink to Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry
. 1992 Sep;55(9):841–843. doi: 10.1136/jnnp.55.9.841

Unilateral upper cervical posterior spinal artery syndrome following sneezing.

N J Gutowski 1, R P Murphy 1, D J Beale 1
PMCID: PMC1015113  PMID: 1402979

Abstract

A 35 year old man experienced severe transitory neck pain following a violent sneeze. This was followed by neurological symptoms and signs indicating a left sided upper cervical cord lesion. MRI showed an infarct at this site in the territory of the left posterior spinal artery. This discrete infarct was probably due to partial left vertebral artery dissection secondary to sneezing.

Full text

PDF
841

Images in this article

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Alom J., Matias-Guiu J., Padró L., Molins M., Romero F., Codina A. Spontaneous dissection of intracranial vertebral artery: clinical recovery with conservative treatment. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 1986 May;49(5):599–600. doi: 10.1136/jnnp.49.5.599. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Bots G. T., Wattendorff A. R., Buruma O. J., Roos R. A., Endtz L. J. Acute myelopathy caused by fibrocartilaginous emboli. Neurology. 1981 Oct;31(10):1250–1256. doi: 10.1212/wnl.31.10.1250. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Hegedüs K., Fekete I. Case report of infarction in the region of the posterior spinal arteries. Eur Arch Psychiatry Neurol Sci. 1984;234(4):281–284. doi: 10.1007/BF00381361. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Hughes J. T. Thrombosis of the posterior spinal arteries. A complication of an intrathecal injection of phenol. Neurology. 1970 Jul;20(7):659–664. doi: 10.1212/wnl.20.7.659. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Pryse-Phillips W. Infarction of the medulla and cervical cord after fitness exercises. Stroke. 1989 Feb;20(2):292–294. doi: 10.1161/01.str.20.2.292. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Roome N. S., Jr, Aberfeld D. C. Spontaneous dissecting aneurysm of the internal carotid artery. Arch Neurol. 1977 Apr;34(4):251–252. doi: 10.1001/archneur.1977.00500160065013. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. SCHNEIDER R. C., CROSBY E. C. Vascular insufficiency of brain stem and spinal cord in spinal trauma. Neurology. 1959 Oct;9:643–656. doi: 10.1212/wnl.9.10.643. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Sherman D. G., Hart R. G., Easton J. D. Abrupt change in head position and cerebral infarction. Stroke. 1981 Jan-Feb;12(1):2–6. doi: 10.1161/01.str.12.1.2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Turnbull I. M., Brieg A., Hassler O. Blood supply of cervical spinal cord in man. A microangiographic cadaver study. J Neurosurg. 1966 Jun;24(6):951–965. doi: 10.3171/jns.1966.24.6.0951. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Young C. A., Chadwick D. W., Humphrey P. R. Extracranial vertebral artery dissection following tonic clonic seizure. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 1991 Apr;54(4):365–366. doi: 10.1136/jnnp.54.4.365. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES