Usefulness of magnetic resonance imaging in diagnosing vertebro-basilar insufficiency

• Published in: Acta oto-laryngologica. Supplement Vol. 528; p. 91
• Main Authors: Miura, M, Naito, Y, Naito, E, Funabiki, K, Honjo, I
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Norway 1997
• Subjects: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Basilar Artery - pathology; Brain Stem - blood supply; Cerebellopontine Angle - pathology; Cerebral Infarction - diagnosis; Cerebral Infarction - etiology; Cerebrovascular Circulation; Dizziness - diagnosis; Humans; Incidence; Magnetic Resonance Angiography; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Middle Aged; Petrous Bone - pathology; Regional Blood Flow; Vertebral Artery - pathology; Vertebrobasilar Insufficiency - complications; Vertebrobasilar Insufficiency - diagnosis; Vertebrobasilar Insufficiency - pathology; Vertigo - diagnosis
• ISSN: 0365-5237

To estimate the usefulness of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in diagnosing vertebro-basilar insufficiency (VBI), 41 VBI patients with vertigo or dizziness and 26 subjects without vertigo or dizziness (as control) were examined by MRI. Sixty-eight percent of the VBI group and 12% of the control group showed a large difference between the right and the left vertebral artery diameter, the incidence being significantly higher in the VBI group. Thirty-nine percent of the VBI group and 12% of the control group had lacunar infarction in the brain stem, of which the incidence was significantly higher in the VBI group, MRI can be recommended to diagnose VBI providing information on both blood vessel disorder and ischemic changes in the brain.