Turkish Neurosurgery 2023 , Vol 33 , Num 1
The Effect of the Vertebral Artery Stenosis on the Basilar Artery Tortuosity
Hamza SAHIN1,Mustafa GOKCE2
1Kahramanmaras Sutcu Imam University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Neurology, Kahramanmaras, Turkey
2Akhmet Yassawi University, Stroke Section, Turkestan, Kazakhstan
DOI : 10.5137/1019-5149.JTN.40980-22.2 AIM: To investigate the effect of vertebral artery stenosis (VAS) on the basilar artery tortuosity.

MATERIAL and METHODS: A total of 158 patients (101 males; 57 females) were divided into two main groups depending on existence of the in the vertebral artery (VA). Then, these groups were divided into two sub-groups according to the stenosis severity. All these groups were compared via the following variables: the gender, age, stroke risk factors, and basilar artery deflection angle.

RESULTS: The dominant VA was found more common on the left side; and most of the cases had an adverse directional correlation between the side of the dominant VA and basilar artery bending (p= 0.002). It was noticed that the mean value of the basilar artery deflection angle was higher in the patients with a VA stenosis rate below 70%. In the left VA, hypertension was found higher in the patients with VAS (92.3%, p= 0.012). Furthermore, C-shaped (n=63, 43%) was the most observing morphological change in the basilar artery (BA).

CONCLUSION: Consequently, this study suggests that the VA stenosis below 70% may contribute to the BA tortuosity by affecting asymmetric VA flow. Keywords : Asymmetric flow, Bending side, Deflection angle, Dominant vertebral artery

Corresponding author : Hamza SAHIN, hamzasahin85@hotmail.com