Vertebral artery dominance affects basilar artery curvature and vascular vertigo

Objective To explore the effect of vertebral artery dominance on basilar artery morphology and vascular vertigo,and understand the possible mechanisms.Methods Fifty-seven patients with vascular vertigo,admitted to our hospital from June 2011 to May 2013,were selected in our study; according to the head CTA vascular imaging,they were divided into vertebral artery dominance group (n=28) and vertebral artery non-dominance group (n=29).The clinical information and vertigo degrees from all of the patients were collected to analyze the vertebral-basilar artery and its relationship with vascular vertigo.Results In 28 patients with vertebral artery dominance,the left side of the dominance was noted in 21 patients (75％) and the right side of the dominance in 7 (25％),with statistically significant difference (x2=8.361,P=0.001); statistical significance of curve rate on both sides of the basal artery morphology was noted (x2=7.729,P=0.006).Most of its characteristic dominance of vertebral artery was C type,and the minority was S type and non-C type.The rate of basal artery bent in the dominant group was significantly higher than that in the non-dominant group (85.71％ and 31.03％,x2=18.196,P=0.000).The diameter (4.68±0.57 mm) and basal artery tortuosity (3.50+0.93 mm) in the dominant group were significantly larger than those in the non-dominant group (4.11 ±0.37 and 1.72±0.57,t=6.289,P=0.015; t=4.621,P=0.036).The theory length of basal artery showed no statistical significance between the two groups (P＞0.05).The greater the differences of both sides of the vertebral artery diameter,and the more obvious the basal diameter and basal artery tortuosity (P＜0.05).The level of vertigo in the non-dominant group was significantly higher than that in the dominant group (t=4.386,P=0.041).Vertigo severity level was positively associated with basal artery tortuosity and vertebral artery diameter (r=0.328,P=0.013; r=0.458,P=0.002).Conclusions There is higher rate of bending degree level and dizziness in patients of dominance of vertebral artery.Vertebral artery dominance is associated with vascular vertigo. Key words: Vascular vertigo;  Vertebral artery dominance;  Basilar artery morphology