[Treatment by a direct surgical approach of a false arterio-venous traumatic aneurysm between the vertebral artery and the internal jugular vein at the level of the atlas (author's transl)].

The authors report a case of traumatic arteriovenous fistula between the vertebral artery and the internal jugular vein at the level of the atlas, treated successfully by a direct surgical approach which permitted exclusion after simple dissection. The relative ease of the surgical approach of the suboccipital segment of the vertebral artery may permit one to extend this technique to other more common indications, in particular due to atheroma.