Case report of an occipital neuralgia caused by a vertebral artery loop: surgical strategies from a rare neurovascular conflict - Takeaways - MDSpire

Case report of an occipital neuralgia caused by a vertebral artery loop: surgical strategies from a rare neurovascular conflict

  • By

  • Julien Haemmerli

  • Michele Pio Fabrizio

  • Arash Najafi

  • Andreas Grüner

  • Alex Alfieri

  • May 28, 2026

  • 0 min

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  • 1

    Occipital neuralgia can arise from neurovascular conflicts, such as aberrant vertebral artery loops, which are often overlooked in diagnosis.

  • 2

    A 74-year-old woman experienced severe left-sided occipital neuralgia for five years, unresponsive to conservative treatments.

  • 3

    Imaging revealed a dominant left vertebral artery loop compressing the C3 nerve root, necessitating surgical intervention.

  • 4

    Microsurgical decompression was performed, achieving adequate neurovascular decompression without arterial transposition.

  • 5

    The patient reported complete pain resolution at three months post-surgery, highlighting the effectiveness of targeted decompression.

Original Source(s)

Case report of an occipital neuralgia caused by a vertebral artery loop: surgical strategies from a rare neurovascular conflict

  • by Julien Haemmerli, Michele Pio Fabrizio, Arash Najafi, Andreas Grüner, Alex Alfieri

  • May 28, 2026

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