Vertebral artery stroke
The effects of vertebral artery occlusion are variable:
- it may be asymptomatic because of the compensatory effects of the opposite artery
- it may result in basilar artery occlusion since the vertebral arteries are often unequal in size and one is more critical to vertebro-basilar flow
- it may present solely as a posterior inferior cerebellar artery stroke since this is the only vessel solely dependent upon it
- stenosis of the subclavian or innominate artery before the take off of the vertebral artery may present as a subclavian steal syndrome
- importantly, the vertebral artery may act as a source of embolus due to intimal damage caused by the spinal vertebrae along it's course
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