Several studies report varing incidence of spinal cord injury without radiologic abnormality (SCIWORA) from 21% to 66% in children. Fifty-five percentage of SCIWORA involves the cervical cord. The mechanisms of neural damage of SCIWORA include flexion, hyperextension, longitudinal distraction and ischemia. But spinal cord infarction related to vertebral arterial injury is rare.

The authors report a case of selective spinal cord infarction on gray matter with unilateral vertebral artery injury after a minor trauma, in a 4-year-old boy. Neurological signs and symptoms developed 12 hours after the trauma. Initial postcontrast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed an enhancement in the left vertebral artery. Follow up postcontrast MRI showed a selective signal change on the central gray matter and unilateral vertebral artery. We present this case with the review of literatures.