Origin of the Right Vertebral Artery Examined with CTA

Background: The vertebral artery arises from the first part of the subclavian artery and provides posterior brain circulation. The abnormal origin of the vertebral arteries is an uncommon finding. The aim of this study was to examine the origin of the right vertebral artery and to discuss its clinical implications. Materials and methods: We examined radiographs of 203 patients who had CT angiography undertaken for a variety of clinical reasons, performed as part of their medical treatment at the University Clinic for Radiology in Skopje, R. N. Macedonia. Results: The study population included 203 patients, 108 male and 95 female, age range from 19-82, mean age 59.6 years. In 202 patients (99.5%) the right vertebral artery originated from the right subclavian artery. In one patient (0.49%) we found atypical right vertebral artery arising from the right common carotid artery in combination with the origin of the right subclavian artery from the aortic arch. Conclusions: The knowledge of the potential vertebral artery origin variants is important for clinicians for safe performance of diagnostic and interventional procedures in radiology and for surgeons during planning and accomplishing surgical interventions.