title: Virtual arterial endoscopy as a diagnostic aid in a patient with basilar artery fenestration and thromboembolic pontine infarct.
abstract: Focal signal intensity loss of the basilar artery on MR angiograms obtained in a 69-year-old man was considered to be caused by an embolus, and thrombolytic therapy was initiated. On the follow-up MR angiograms, the same oval signal intensity loss of the basilar artery was observed. On the basis of a virtual endoscopic look into the basilar artery, the diagnosis of a rare vascular anomaly--a fenestration of the basilar artery--was confirmed and the presence of a thrombus at the site of the signal intensity loss was excluded.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Diagnostic Radiology and Neuroradiology, Düsseldorf, Germany.
authors.forename: Axel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Scherer
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Siebler
authors.forename: Albrecht
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Aulich
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D017546:Angioscopy; D001488:Basilar Artery / Q000601:surgery*; D020526:Brain Stem Infarctions / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D013923:Thromboembolism / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis*