Purpose: The vertebral artery (VA) is a vital branch of the subclavian artery, coursing through the transverse foramina of the cervical vertebrae, and playing a crucial role in irrigating the posterior region of the arterial cerebral circle, also known as the Polygon of Willis. Among the various possible alterations that can affect the VA, vertebral artery hypoplasia (HAV) emerges as a significant variant. This study aims to discern the anatomical features of HAV and its correlation with the clinical conditions of the posterior cerebral circulation.
Methods: The databases Medline, Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar, CINAHL, and LILACS were searched until January 2024. Two authors independently performed the search, study selection, and data extraction. Methodological quality was evaluated with an assurance tool for anatomical studies (AQUA). Pooled prevalence was estimated using a random effects model.
Results: A total of 24 studies met the established selection criteria, with a total of 8847 subjects. In this study, 6 articles were included for the meta-analysis with a total of subjects. The average prevalence of VAH reported in each study was 11% (95% CI 10-12%); the studies had a heterogeneity of 41% based on the funnel plot and a low risk of bias.
Conclusion: The prevalence of VAH is low, but in the presence of this condition, the changes are mainly in diameter rather than morphological. If it is present, some clinical safeguards must be taken to avoid complications such as stroke.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00276-024-03377-y | DOI Listing |
Transplantation
November 2024
Department of Cardiology, Thorax Center, Cardiovascular Institute, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
Cardiac allograft vasculopathy (CAV) remains a significant challenge after heart transplantation, necessitating effective surveillance methods. This review centers around the role of coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) in CAV surveillance, given its unique capabilities to visualize and quantify CAV in comparison with other imaging modalities, including invasive coronary angiography and intravascular ultrasound. CCTA has shown good diagnostic performance for detecting and monitoring CAV, exemplified by a higher sensitivity and negative predictive value compared with invasive coronary angiography.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAberrant anatomical variation of the vertebral artery (VA) from an internal carotid artery (ICA) is considered a rare finding. The incidence of this phenomenon can lead to patients suffering from posterior circulation neurological deficit if the ICA becomes significantly diseased. VA atypical anatomical origin is considered one of the rare pathologies, not only precipitating neurovascular incidents but equally leading to severe difficulty in VA dissection and surgical exposure, especially in carotid artery procedures.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAnat Cell Biol
January 2025
Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, National University of Science and Technology, Sohar, Oman.
During dissection of a 70-year-old male donor, several anatomical variations were observed, highlighted by a bilateral variant middle scalene muscle in the superolateral thoracic wall. The variant scalene muscle was traced from the transverse processes of cervical vertebrae to the fourth rib with a pronounced fascial slip. The elongated middle scalene muscle was thick in girth and abnormally wide at its insertion (56.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNeurologist
January 2025
Department of Neurology.
Introduction: Dynamic vertebral artery insufficiency is a rare vascular phenomenon characterized by insufficient flow of the posterior cerebral circulation induced by dynamic motion of the head. Prior case reports have been limited to vertebral artery occlusion by cervical osteophytes or other structural impingements.
Case Report: In this case report, we discuss the unusual case of a 61-year-old female with a history of vertigo, diplopia, nystagmus, and left subclavian stenosis admitted to the hospital for syncope elicited by a left head turn and left shoulder raise.
Cureus
December 2024
Neurology, Mahatma Gandhi Medical College and Hospital, Jaipur, Jaipur, IND.
Lateral medullary syndrome (LMS) is a neurological disorder usually presenting as loss of pain and thermal sensation over the ipsilateral face and contralateral half of the body, ipsilateral limb ataxia, Horner's syndrome, dysphagia, nystagmus, hiccups among other symptoms but never with limb weakness. In the present case, the patient presented with ipsilateral hemiparesis, which can be attributed to the extension of the infarct caudally beyond the pyramidal decussation, affecting the corticospinal fibers in the upper cervical cord, a variant of LMS, known as Opalski syndrome (OS).
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