Vertebral artery hypoplasia

Abstract

We determined in 725 sequentially admitted first-ever stroke patients, using color-coded duplex flow imaging of the V2 segment, whether vertebral artery hypoplasia (VAH) (diameter< or = 2.5 mm) was more frequent (13%) in posterior circulation territory infarction (247) than in strokes in other territories (4.6%). This difference is significant (p < 0.001), whereas all other risk factors (hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes, smoking) were equally (p > 0.05) distributed. Patients with VAH may be predisposed to stroke in the posterior circulation.

Right subclavian steal syndrome in a patient with aberrant right subclavian artery, common carotid trunk and hypoplastic left vertebral artery

“…Three prior studies concluded that individuals with hypoplastic vertebral arteries are at increased risk for posterior circulatory stroke more so if they had risk factors like hypertension, diabetes, smoking, etc. [14][15][16]. Our patient had hypoplastic left vertebral artery associated with stenosis in aberrant right subclavian artery proximal to the origin of right vertebral artery leading to relatively compromised blood flow to the brainstem and causing the vertebrobasilar symptoms with minimal exertion of the right upper extremity.…”

A case of a single intracranial vertebral artery and cerebral infarct

“…Alterations in cerebrovascular haemodynamics may allow for turbulent blood flow, increasing the patient's likelihood of a stroke [7,12]. In fact, hypoplasia of VA has been associated with increased risk of an ischaemic event [4,10,12]. Moreover, lateral displacement of the basilar artery likely contributed to vertebra-basilar insufficiency in this subject [2,7].…”

Two Unusual Cases of the Posterior Cranial Fossa Blood Supply

“…Some studies have found that hypoplasia of the vertebral artery system puts individuals at risk for stroke of the posterior circulation [18][19]. Such collateral circulations can impede endovascular procedures [20].…”