title: Imaging the vertebral artery.
abstract: Although conventional intraarterial digital subtraction angiography remains the gold standard method for imaging the vertebral artery, noninvasive modalities such as ultrasound, multislice computed tomographic angiography and magnetic resonance angiography are constantly improving and are playing an increasingly important role in diagnosing vertebral artery pathology in clinical practice. This paper reviews the current state of vertebral artery imaging from an evidence-based perspective. Normal anatomy, normal variants and a number of pathological entities such as vertebral atherosclerosis, arterial dissection, arteriovenous fistula, subclavian steal syndrome and vertebrobasilar dolichoectasia are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Addenbrooke's Hospital and University of Cambridge, UK.
authors.forename: Keng Yeow
authors.initials: KY
authors.lastname: Tay
authors.forename: Jean Marie
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: U-King-Im
authors.forename: Rikin A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Trivedi
authors.forename: Nicholas J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Higgins
authors.forename: Justin J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Cross
authors.forename: John R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Davies
authors.forename: Peter L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Weissberg
authors.forename: Nagui M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Antoun
authors.forename: Jonathan H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Gillard
mesh_terms: D015901:Angiography, Digital Subtraction; D001161:Arteriosclerosis / Q000175:diagnosis; D001164:Arteriovenous Fistula / Q000175:diagnosis; D002561:Cerebrovascular Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003952:Diagnostic Imaging; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D013349:Subclavian Steal Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014711:Vertebral Artery / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000473:pathology*; D020217:Vertebral Artery Dissection / Q000175:diagnosis; D014715:Vertebrobasilar Insufficiency / Q000175:diagnosis