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Updated: Oct 30, 2025

Microvascular Decompression: Salient Surgical Principles and Technical Nuances
Published on: July 5, 2011
Persistent trigeminal artery as a rare cause of vertebrobasilar insufficiency
K Sulima1, J Chojdak-Łukasiewicz2, B Paradowski1
1Department of Neurology, Wroclaw Medical University, Wroclaw, Poland.
Abstract:
The persistent trigeminal artery (PTA) is the most common foetal carotid-basilar anastomosis which may persist into adult life. In the literature there are numerous papers referring to the anatomical characteristics of this anomalous vessel. In the majority of cases PTA is an incidental finding and its clinical significance has been debated. Some authors describe the coincidence of PTA with various clinical syndromes. However, there are few reports linking PTA with the symptoms of vertebrobasilar insufficiency. We present a patient with a 3-year history of recurrent dizziness and impaired vision, precipitated by physical activity, in whom neuroimaging techniques revealed a left PTA. In our case the occurrence of PTA might have been related to the clinical manifestation and the potential mechanism will be discussed.
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