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Imaging the vertebral artery

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Abstract

Although conventional intraarterial digital subtraction angiography remains the gold standard method for imaging the vertebral artery, noninvasive modalities such as ultrasound, multislice computed tomographic angiography and magnetic resonance angiography are constantly improving and are playing an increasingly important role in diagnosing vertebral artery pathology in clinical practice. This paper reviews the current state of vertebral artery imaging from an evidence-based perspective. Normal anatomy, normal variants and a number of pathological entities such as vertebral atherosclerosis, arterial dissection, arteriovenous fistula, subclavian steal syndrome and vertebrobasilar dolichoectasia are discussed.

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Acknowledgements

We are grateful to Philip Elliot and Rosemary Farmer from Addenbrooke’s Hospital for providing some of the images in this review. We also thank the British Heart Foundation for supporting the FDG-PET studies.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiology, Addenbrooke’s Hospital and University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 2QQ, UK

    Keng Yeow Tay, Jean Marie U-King-Im, Rikin A. Trivedi, Nicholas J. Higgins, Justin J. Cross, Nagui M. Antoun & Jonathan H. Gillard

  2. Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Addenbrooke’s Hospital and University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 2QQ, UK

    John R. Davies & Peter L. Weissberg

  3. University Department of Radiology, Addenbrooke’s Hospitald, Hills Road, Cambridge, CB2 2QQ, UK

    Jonathan H. Gillard

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  1. Keng Yeow Tay
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Tay, K.Y., U-King-Im, J.M., Trivedi, R.A. et al. Imaging the vertebral artery. Eur Radiol 15, 1329–1343 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00330-005-2679-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00330-005-2679-z

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