Microvascular decompression of a vertebral artery loop causing cervical radiculopathy: illustrative case.

Background: Vertebral artery loops are a rare cause of cervical radiculopathy. Surgical options for nerve root decompression include an anterior or posterior approach, with or without additional microvascular decompression.

Observations: The authors describe a case of a 49-year-old man with a long-standing history of left-sided neck pain and migraines, who was found to have a vertebral artery loop in the left C3-4 neural foramen compressing the left C4 nerve root.