Evaluation of Vascular Diameter, Velocity and Flow of the Vertebral Artery in Patients with Vertebrobasilar Compared with the Control Group

Background: Vertebrobasilar insufficiency (VBI) is defined by inadequate blood flow through the posterior circulation of the brain. The Vertebrobasilar vasculature supplies areas such as the brainstem, thalamus, hippocampus, cerebellum, occipital, and medial temporal lobes. The narrowing of the vertebral or basilar arteries caused by atherosclerosis creates vertebrobasilar insufficiency (VBI). The purpose of this study was to Evaluation of vascular diameter, velocity and flow of the vertebral artery in patients with vertebrobasilar compared with the control group.Methods: This case-control study was performed on 100 patients in the case group with vertebrobasilar ischemia and 100 patients in the control group. Cases with Vertebrobasilar insufficiency admitted to Alzahra hospitals from September 23, 2015, to March 20, 2018. Controls were age and gender-matched to each case. Each group was evaluated by neck Doppler-Eco vasculature to measure vascular diameter, velocity and flow of blood. The University s Ethics Committee approved this study.Results: In the control group, the diameter of right and left carotid arteries were 6.8 mm and 2.3 ml. The right and left vertebral arteries were 3.3 mm and 6 mm, the blood flow of the vertebral artery in the case group was significantly lower than the control group (P<0.005). In addition, the ratio of measured indexes in the two groups (including the ratio of velocity to diameter and velocity to blood flow) showed a significant difference (P<0.001). It was also found that the ratio of carotid to vertebral indexes showed a significant difference between the two groups (P<0.001). A greater percentage of blood flows through the carotid artery when the vertebral vessels narrows down. In the end, the sensitivity 77.8% and specificity 90% were calculated for these indices in the diagnosis of vertebrobasilar ischemia.Conclusion: The results of this study showed that the parameters of vessel diameter, velocity and flow of blood in the vertebral arteries is a good index to distinguish the patient from healthy subjects. Also the ratio of carotid to vertebral indexes is a very good and reliable index to differentiate cases from controls.

کلیدواژه ها:

Vertebrobasilar ، vertebral arteries ، Doppler-Eco ، Vascular diameter ، velocity