title: Application of vertebral artery ultrasonography in enlistment-age male student pilots.
abstract: The aim of this study was to investigate the vertebral artery (VA) morphology of enlistment-age male student pilots with ultrasound to provide a basis for early diagnosis of potentially asymptomatic cervical vertigo. Ultrasound results of the origin position, diameter and hemodynamics of the VA in 935 cases of student pilots with a mean age of 18.0 y were analyzed. The inner diameters of both sides of the VA differ: the left is larger than the right statistically (p < 0.001). Moreover, the peak systolic velocity of the left VA is significantly greater than that of the right (p < 0.001). Congenital VA anomalies in age-appropriate male student pilots included inner diameter variation, course variation and origin position variation. The incidence of course variation or origin position proportion was low (3.46%, 32/925), and origin position variation was often accompanied by inner diameter variation or course variation. This study confirms that there are a variety of congenital abnormalities in the vertebral arteries of enlistment-age male student pilots, and a VA diameter <2.5 mm may be a reasonable criterion for diagnosis of VA hypoplasia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ultrasound, Air Force General Hospital of PLA, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Shuping
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Ultrasound, Air Force General Hospital of PLA, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Ultrasound, Air Force General Hospital of PLA, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Kechun
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yao
authors.affiliation: Department of Ultrasound, Air Force General Hospital of PLA, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Wenxiu
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Ultrasound, Air Force General Hospital of PLA, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Na
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Ultrasound, Air Force General Hospital of PLA, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cui
authors.affiliation: Department of Ultrasound, Air Force General Hospital of PLA, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Zhikang
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zou
authors.affiliation: Department of Ultrasound, Air Force General Hospital of PLA, Beijing, China. Electronic address: zhonglima@126.com.
authors.forename: Zhongli
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Ma
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000401:Aircraft; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D002681:China; D006439:Hemodynamics; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013334:Students; D014463:Ultrasonography; D014711:Vertebral Artery / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000502:physiology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Male; Student pilot; Ultrasound; Vertebral artery