Related Experiment Videos
Vertebrobasilar insufficiency. A review
Insights
Clinical examination alone rarely localizes posterior circulation vascular lesions causing vertebrobasilar insufficiency. Multiple factors cause these symptoms, necessitating comprehensive angiography for diagnosis.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Vascular Surgery
- Diagnostic Imaging
Background:
- Vertebrobasilar insufficiency (VBI) symptoms have diverse etiologies.
- Accurate localization of posterior circulation vascular pathology is challenging via clinical exam alone.
Observation:
- Stenotic and occlusive lesions occur throughout the vertebrobasilar system.
- Current diagnostic standards mandate four-vessel cerebral angiography for complete investigation.
Findings:
- No single medical or surgical therapy has demonstrated unequivocal benefit for VBI.
- Evolving surgical techniques offer potential alternative treatment strategies for posterior circulation disease.
Implications:
- Improved diagnostic accuracy for VBI is needed.
- Further research into effective VBI treatments, including novel surgical interventions, is warranted.
Abstract:
After critically reviewing the last 50 years' literature pertaining to vertebrobasilar insufficiency, we reached the following conclusions: One can seldom accurately localize vascular pathologic lesions in the posterior circulation by clinical examination alone. The symptoms of vertebrobasilar insufficiency have multiple causes. Stenotic and occlusive lesions have been found at every level of the vertebrobasilar circulation. Currently, a complete investigation requires four-vessel cerebral angiography. No therapeutic modality, medical or surgical, has been proved unequivocably to be of benefit. New surgical approaches to the vertebrobasilar circulation that show promise in providing alternative methods of treatment have been developed.