BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Few and conflicting data exist on the case fatality rate in stroke patients with basilar artery dolichoectasia. We analyzed basilar artery characteristics (diameter, height of bifurcation, transverse position) and 5-year mortality (all-cause, nonstroke vascular, and stroke) in patients with brain infarction. METHODS The basilar artery diameter was measured with a 16-dio...

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 ar...

Our study describes the early symptoms and signs of 85 patients with either basilar artery occlusion or bilateral distal vertebral artery occlusion documented by selective angiography. The most common prodromal symptoms were vertigo, nausea, and headache, which occurred during the 2 weeks before the stroke. Angiographic findings of 49 patients were classified into proximal, middle, and distal b...

Acute basilar artery occlusion has a mortality rate approaching 90%. The authors describe a case of acute basilar artery occlusion managed successfully with endovascular embolectomy. A 31-year-old man sought treatment for confusion, dysarthria, and right-sided weakness. He soon became unresponsive and was found to have a vertebral artery dissection and an associated basilar artery embolism. The...

Using directional continuous-wave Doppler sonography of the vertebral arteries, we have investigated 1,540 patients during the past 5 years. On the basis of unilateral and bilateral retrograde brachial angiograms in the same patients (a total of 1,989 angiograms) we have developed sonographic criteria for demonstrating a significant increase in the peripheral resistance of both distal vertebral...

Demonstration of dolichoectasia of the basilar artery by CT [1-5] and angiography [6-8] has been well described. We present a case of basilar artery dolichoectasia demonstrated by MR imaging. This has not been previously described in the literature. The important MR features of dolichoectasia of the basilar artery are flowing blood through the residual lumen and fresh blood clot surrounding the...

BACKGROUND Basilar artery occlusion caused by thrombosis of atherosclerotic fusiform aneurysm of the basilar artery is rare. We present a case confirmed by 6 years of follow-up and autopsy. CASE DESCRIPTION A 63-year-old man suffered from brain stem infarction. Computed tomography and angiography showed a fusiform aneurysm on the proximal portion of the basilar artery. At the time of the thir...

Basilar artery dissecting aneurysms, although very rare in children, may be associated with severe morbidity and mortality. The management of these vascular lesions depends on clinical presentation of patients. Large fusiform vertebro-basilar dissecting aneurysms are exceedingly rare and can exert mass effect on the brainstem and cerebellum. We herein report the neuroimaging findings, including...

Hong Kong Med J ⎥ Volume 21 Number 4 ⎥ August 2015 ⎥ www.hkmj.org A 55-year-old man was admitted in August 2014 as an emergency with sudden onset of vertigo, dizziness, and left-sided weakness. Initial Glasgow Coma Scale score was 15/15. Physical examination revealed left hemiparesis and an upgoing left plantar response. Both pupils were reactive with the left one slightly smaller than the righ...