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Provokable bilateral vertebral artery compression diagnosed with transcranial Doppler
1Department of Neurology, Vestfold Sentralsykehus, Tønsberg, Norway.
Stroke
|February 1, 1992
Summary
Head and neck movements can cause vertebrobasilar insufficiency due to vascular compression. Transcranial Doppler sonography effectively diagnosed this condition by showing reduced blood flow during provocative maneuvers.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Vascular Medicine
- Diagnostic Imaging
Background:
- Head and neck movements can trigger vertebrobasilar insufficiency through vascular compression.
- Two patients experiencing reproducible symptoms were studied to investigate this phenomenon.
Observation:
- Transcranial Doppler sonography (TCD) was used to continuously monitor blood flow velocities.
- Measurements were taken in the basilar artery and posterior cerebral arteries during provocative maneuvers.
Findings:
- Voluntary provocative maneuvers immediately reduced blood flow velocity, causing symptoms within seconds.
- Following symptom relief, blood flow velocities showed a transient overshoot before returning to baseline.
Implications:
- Symptoms of vertebrobasilar insufficiency are directly linked to actual reductions in blood flow.
- Transcranial Doppler sonography is a valuable tool for diagnosing bilateral extracranial vertebral artery compression.