Severe pseudo-stenosis of intracranial segment of vertebral artery: a case report

Abstract

Objective: To describe the clinical features of a case of ischemic stroke caused by pseudo severe stenosis of vertebral artery (VA). Methods: The clinical history and image data of a 52-year-old man with ischemic stroke were collected. Results: Computerized tomography angiography (CTA) revealed stenosis of V1 and V4 of the left VA. DSA confirmed that the anterior blood flow recovered after stent implantation, and the V4 segment of the left VA was normal without stenosis. Conclusions: It is speculated that the upper stenosis is due to local hemodynamic changes rather than real stenosis. This case suggests that the interpretation of stenosis on CTA should consider cerebral vascular anatomy and hemodynamic changes.

Keywords

vertebral artery stenosis / ischemic stroke / hemodynamic / computerized tomography angiography