Incidence of Left Vertebral Artery Origin Directly From the Aortic Arch

Abstract

The vertebral artery (a. vertebralis, VA) is classically described as the first branch of the ipsilateral subclavian artery (a. subclavia). This study aimed to show the aberrant pattern of a. vertebralis sinistra. The study included 1000 CTA images taken from 1000 patients. The only recorded variation in the origin of a. vertebralis was a separate origin of a. vertebralis sinistra (LVA) in 28 of the patients (2.8%). It was present as a four-vessel aortic arch pattern with a. vertebralis sinistra arising between a. carotis communis sinistra (LCCA) and a. subclavia sinistra (LSA). Establishing the diagnosis of these variations is very important before cerebral angiography or endovascular surgeries in the head and neck region are performed.