Diagnosis of vertebral basilar artery variation with digital subtraction angiography

WANG Jin-long; ZHANG Hong-qi; JIAO Li-qun; ZHU Feng-shui; LI Shen-mao; JI Xun-ming; LING Feng

Abstract：Objective This study is to investigate the prevalence of vertebral basilar artery veriation and its imaging char-acters in patients receiving cerebral artery digital subtraction angiography .Methods We reviewed 6432 patients receiving cerebral artery digital subtraction angiography ,and got the prevalence of vertebral basilar artery veriation and associated cerebral artery diseases in these patients .Results Among the 6432 patients ,4 .2% (278 vertebral arteries in 272 cases) was diagnosed with anomalous origin of vertebral artery ,including 4 .2% of anomalous origin of the left vertebral artery (n=270 ,of which 258 vertebral arteries originated from the aortic arch ,2 cases were duplicitous origin of the left vertebral artery ,4 cases of vertebral artery originated from left internal carotid artery and 6 vertebral arteries originated from the root of left subclavian artery ) and 8 were anomalous origin of the right vertebral artery (of which 2 branches originated from right common carotid artery ,2 originated from right internal artery ,2 duplicitous origin of the right vertebral artery , 2 originated from brachiocephalic trunk ) .61 branches of PCA originated from infraversion .The fenestrations of vertebral basilar artery were 141 cases (2 .19% ) .Persistent trigeminal artery were 11 cases (0 .17% ) .Among the fenestrations of cerebral artery ,9 cases were accompanied with aneurysms ,2 cases were accompanied with arteriovenous malformation .7 cases were accompanied with cerebral ischemia ,2 cases accompanied with cerebral infarction .1 case of duplicitous origin of the right vertebral artery was accompanied with cerebral infarction .Conclusion Cerebral artery digital subtraction angi-ography was able to show the location ,morphology ,adjacent relationship and associated vascular diseases in vertebral bas-ilar artery fenestration .This could provide more information for the diagnosis and treatment of cerebrovascular diseases , especially for the neuroradiology intervention therapy .