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Vertebral and/or basilar dolichoectasia in human adult cadavers

Acta Neurochirurgica volume 154, pages 1477–1488 (2012)Cite this article

Abstract

Background

Intracranial arterial dolichoectasia is a condition in which arteries demonstrate an increase in length and diameter, with the vertebrobasilar system being the most commonly affected segment.

Because the criteria for and degree of vertebrobasilar dolichoectasia are usually established on three-dimensional time-of-flight MR angiography, we presented the results of an anatomic study of vertebrobasilar dolichoectasia cadaveric specimens.

Method

Examination was carried out on the brains of human adult cadavers, routinely dissected at the Institute of Forensic Medicine. Measurement of the outer diameter and length of vertebral and/or basilar arteries was performed using the ImageJ processing program.

Results

There were 14 cases (14/216) of vertebral and/or basilar (dolicho)ectasia. Their classification into special (sub)types is made according to the basilar and/or vertebral diameter. The basilar length ranged from 32.91–59.37 mm, and the basilar outer diameter ranged from 3.51–8.92 mm in relation to the corresponding point of its measurement. The outer diameter of the vertebral arteries ranged from 0.67–5.91 mm. The Games-Howell post hoc test additionally showed that a basilar outer diameter of grade III and IV was significantly larger than in grade II (p < 0.05).

Conclusions

We noted a predisposition of males older than 40 years to arterial dolichoectasia in the vertebrobasilar system, independently from population group, as well as its asymptomatic appearance, independently from the presence of atherosclerotic plaques.

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Acknowledgments

This work is supported by Ministry of Science and Technological Development of Republic of Serbia (contract grant nos. 175092 and 41018).

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Affiliations

  1. Department of Anatomy, University of Niš, Blvd. Dr Zoran Đinđić 81, 18000, Niš, Serbia

    Ljiljana Vasović, Ivan Jovanović, Slađana Ugrenović & Slobodan Vlajković

  2. Faculty of Medicine, University of Niš, Blvd. Dr Zoran Đinđić 81, 18000, Niš, Serbia

    Ljiljana Vasović, Milena Trandafilović, Ivan Jovanović, Slađana Ugrenović & Slobodan Vlajković

Authors
  1. Ljiljana Vasović
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  2. Milena Trandafilović
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  3. Ivan Jovanović
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  4. Slađana Ugrenović
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  5. Slobodan Vlajković
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Correspondence to Ljiljana Vasović.

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Vasović, L., Trandafilović, M., Jovanović, I. et al. Vertebral and/or basilar dolichoectasia in human adult cadavers. Acta Neurochir 154, 1477–1488 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00701-012-1400-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00701-012-1400-7

Keywords

  • Artery
  • Elongation
  • Ectasia
  • Tortuousity
  • Vertebrobasilar system
  • Human cadaver