Vertebral artery hypoplasia: a predisposing factor for posterior circulation stroke?
We determined in 725 sequentially admitted first-ever stroke patients, using color-coded duplex flow imaging of the V2 segment, whether vertebral artery hypoplasia (VAH) (diameter < or = 2.5 mm) was more frequent (13%) in posterior circulation territory infarction (247) than in strokes in other territories (4.6%). This difference is significant (p < 0.001), whereas all other risk factors (hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes, smoking) were equally (p > 0.05) distributed. Patients with VAH may be predisposed to stroke in the posterior circulation.
Perren
Fabienne
F
Department of Neurology, HUG, University Hospital and Medical School of Geneva, Micheli-du-Crest 24, CH-1211 Geneva 14, Switzerland. Fabienne.Perren@hcuge.ch
Poglia
Davide
D
Landis
Theodor
T
Sztajzel
Roman
R
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D020520:Brain Infarction / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D002539:Cerebral Arterial Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D020521:Stroke / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D014463:Ultrasonography; D014711:Vertebral Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology*