VARIATIONS IN THE SIZE OF THE VERTEBRAL ARTERIES- CADAVERIC STUDY

Amit Raj Sharma* and Dr. Kunal Chawla

ABSTRACT

Normally two vertebral arteries are present (right and left). These are the branches of subclavian arteries. In the skull at the ventral surface of the medulla oblongata both the vertical arteries merge to form a basilar artery. They form the vertebrobasilar vascular system, the vertebral arteries supply blood to the upper spinal cord, brainstem, cerebellum, and posterior part of the brain.[1] Normally the size of the two vertebral arteries is equal but in some cases, One of the arteries might be smaller as compared to the other. Normally the patients are asymptomatic and the diagnosis of a small vertebral artery is usually made accidentally at the time of any diagnostic procedure or at the time of postmortem. In some cases, if the lumen of one of the vertical arteries is very small as compared to others the blood flow to that side of the brain will be less as compared to the other side of the brain, Because, in the vertebral arteries, the flow of blood is streamlined flow like portal vein, these patients, may have some neurological defects at the time of birth because of less blood supply to the part of the brain. There are common variations in the course and size of the vertebral arteries. For example, differences in size between left and right vertebral arteries may range from a slight asymmetry to marked hypoplasia of one side, with studies estimating a prevalence of unilateral vertebral artery hypoplasia between 2% and 25%.[2]

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