Clinical Characteristics of Patients with Vertebral Artery Hypoplasia

Marcin Bakalarz, Jacek J. Rożniecki and Mariusz Stasiołek
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Marcin Bakalarz: Department of Neurology, Teaching Hospital Nr. 1, Medical University of Lodz, Ul. Kopcińskiego 22, 90-153 Łódź, Poland
Jacek J. Rożniecki: Department of Neurology, Stroke and Neurorehabilitation, Medical University of Lodz, Ul. Kopcińskiego 22, 90-153 Łódź, Poland
Mariusz Stasiołek: Department of Neurology, Medical University of Lodz, Ul. Kopcińskiego 22, 90-153 Łódź, Poland

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 15, 1-9

Abstract: Vertebral artery hypoplasia (VAH) belongs to the relatively frequent Doppler ultrasonography (US) findings. However, its clinical significance remains controversial. This was a retrospective study analyzing clinical data of patients undergoing US because of cerebrovascular disease in a single academic neurology center. In the dataset of 2500 US examinations, 80 individuals with VAH (VA diameter < 2.0 mm) were identified (3.2% of all patients). Patients with significant vertebral artery asymmetry (SVAA, difference in VA diameters > 1.0 mm) ( n = 80) and patients with normal VA diameter ( n = 80) were also recruited. Clinical parameters including clinical signs and symptoms, concomitant diseases, imaging findings and the hospitalization outcome were compared between groups. The frequency of vertigo was highest in VAH group. Ischemic lesions of the cerebellum were found in 10% of VAH patients, 16% of SVAA patients and 5% of control subjects. Neurological deficits improved in over 60% of patients in each group, whereas ca. 30% of patients remained in a stable neurological status. The percentage of patients who deteriorated did not exceed 5% in any of the groups. The results of our study support a relatively high frequency of VAH. Our observations suggest coexistence of VAH with a higher frequency of neurological presentations associated with posterior arterial circulation of the central nervous system.

Keywords: ischemic stroke; cerebrovascular disease; vertebral artery hypoplasia (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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