Imaging the vertebral artery.
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.
Tay
Keng Yeow
KY
Department of Radiology, Addenbrooke's Hospital and University of Cambridge, UK.
U-King-Im
Jean Marie
JM
Trivedi
Rikin A
RA
Higgins
Nicholas J
NJ
Cross
Justin J
JJ
Davies
John R
JR
Weissberg
Peter L
PL
Antoun
Nagui M
NM
Gillard
Jonathan H
JH
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