Persistent nonfused segments of the basilar artery: longitudinal versus axial nonfusion.
Embryologic development of the basilar artery occurs along two axis systems: longitudinal fusion and axial fusion. Longitudinal fusion consists of midline fusion of paired ventral arteries and reflects the simplified pattern of arterial anatomy found in the spinal cord. Axial fusion consists of fusion of the distal basilar artery, which arises from the caudal division of the internal carotid artery, to the midbasilar agenesis to the posterior inferior cerebellar artery termination of the vertebral arteries. Persistent longitudinal nonfusion (or complete duplication) of the basilar artery is very rare, and persistent axial nonfusion is even rarer. We report one case of persistent longitudinal nonfusion of the basilar artery in a 3-year-old boy and a case of persistent axial nonfusion of the basilar artery in a 43-year-old man.
Endovascular Neurosurgery and Interventional Neuroradiology Service, Department of Neurosurgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
Brian L
BL
Hoh
James D
JD
Rabinov
Johnny C
JC
Pryor
Joshua A
JA
Hirsch
Elizabeth C
EC
Dooling
Christopher S
CS
Ogilvy
D000328:Adult; D015901:Angiography, Digital Subtraction; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001488:Basilar Artery / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000196:embryology / Q000473:pathology; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000098:blood supply; D002533:Cerebral Angiography; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D004830:Epilepsy, Tonic-Clonic / Q000151:congenital* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D018810:Magnetic Resonance Angiography; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D010634:Phenobarbital / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014711:Vertebral Artery / Q000002:abnormalities / Q000473:pathology; D014715:Vertebrobasilar Insufficiency / Q000151:congenital* / Q000175:diagnosis
D000927:Anticonvulsants; D010634:Phenobarbital