An unusual congenital arteriovenous fistula of the vertebral artery and its embolization by a detachable balloon catheter.

This report concerns a 4-year-old boy with a pulsating tumor on the left side of the neck. Angiography revealed a congenital arteriovenous fistula of the vertebral artery at C2 level being fed by a left ascending cervical artery. The shunting vessel was cut off by a detachable balloon catheter via the vertebral artery so that the physiological blood supply could be restored.