Foramen arcuale and syndrome of Barre-Lieou. Its surgical treatment.
At the point where the vertebral artery crosses the posterior arch of the atlas it may sometimes be enclosed by a bridge of bone, the so-called foramen arcuale. The foramen limits the normal mobility of the vessel during flexion and extension of the neck and may cause disturbances of arterial flow and of the peri-arterial sympathetic plexus giving rise to symptoms similar to those found in the Barre-Lieou syndrome. The authors describes the angiographic findings in such patients and a technique for the surgical excision of the foramen. The results of the operation in two groups of patients, with and without associated spondylosis of the lower cervical spine, are presented.
D001270:Cervical Atlas / Q000002:abnormalities / Q000601:surgery*; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae; D006801:Humans; D008722:Methods; D013128:Spinal Osteophytosis / Q000150:complications / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D014711:Vertebral Artery / Q000033:anatomy & histology