Vertebral Artery Compression Syndrome
- PMID:31681148
- PMCID: PMC6803805
- DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2019.01075
Vertebral Artery Compression Syndrome
Abstract
Objective: We aim to propose the term "vertebral artery compression syndrome" to describe a group of patients with a variety of clinical symptoms caused by vertebral artery compression of the medulla or spinal cord.Methods: We conducted the prospective case study in a university teaching hospital. Eleven patients who fulfilled the diagnostic criteria of vertebral artery compression syndrome and 22 age- and sex- matched controls were recruited. Clinical presentation and radiological findings of patients with vertebral artery compression syndrome were assessed and recorded. The basilar artery diameter was measured at the midpons level on T2 weighted MR images and compared between both groups.Results: Medullary compression was observed in 10 of 11 patients. The most common clinical presentation is dizziness, vertigo, imbalance, or ataxia followed by limb weakness. Cervical spinal cord compression was observed in one patient who presented with neck pain and left leg weakness. The mean basilar artery diameter was similar between patients and controls (3.95 ± 0.41 vs. 3.81 ± 0.43 mm).Conclusions: Vertebral artery compression of medulla and spinal cord may cause various clinical symptoms. Future studies are needed to further clarify the prevalence, natural history and treatment of this condition.
Keywords: compression; imaging; intracranial arterial dolichoectasia; stroke; vertebral artery; vertebrobasilar dolichoectasia.
Copyright © 2019 Li, Xie, Yang, Yan, Davis and Caplan.
Figures


Similar articles
- Non-Dolichoectatic Vertebral Artery Compression of the Medulla: A Comprehensive Literature Review.Sabet CJ.Sabet CJ.J Stroke Cerebrovasc Dis. 2021 Jun;30(6):105750. doi: 10.1016/j.jstrokecerebrovasdis.2021.105750. Epub 2021 Apr 1.J Stroke Cerebrovasc Dis. 2021.PMID:33812174Review.
- Vertebral artery compression of the medulla oblongata: A benign radiological finding?Tsutsumi S, Nonaka S, Ono H, Ishii H.Tsutsumi S, et al.Surg Neurol Int. 2022 Feb 4;13:36. doi: 10.25259/SNI_1161_2021. eCollection 2022.Surg Neurol Int. 2022.PMID:35242402Free PMC article.
- Spastic quadriparesis caused by anomalous vertebral artery compression of spinal cord at the cervico-medullary junction.Betgeri SS, Rajesh S, Adkatalwar V, Shiva M, Agrawal N, Ramakrishnan KG.Betgeri SS, et al.Neuroradiol J. 2015 Feb;28(1):67-71. doi: 10.15274/NRJ-2014-10108.Neuroradiol J. 2015.PMID:25924176Free PMC article.
- Left Anterolateral Medullary Compression Due to Vertebral Artery Dolichoectasia: A Case Report and Review of Literature.Sam A, B S, Ramakrishnan KK, Vikram MA, Mohanakrishnan A.Sam A, et al.Cureus. 2024 Aug 21;16(8):e67361. doi: 10.7759/cureus.67361. eCollection 2024 Aug.Cureus. 2024.PMID:39310441Free PMC article.
- [Medial medullary infarction: report of three patients presented with central vestibular dysfunction without limb and lingual weakness].Arai M, Shichi D.Arai M, et al.Rinsho Shinkeigaku. 1999 Oct;39(10):1059-63.Rinsho Shinkeigaku. 1999.PMID:10655770Review.Japanese.
Cited by
- Symptomatic Vascular Compression of Brainstem May Be Managed Conservatively.Ghannam M, Berns M, Salari A, Moore L, Brown K.Ghannam M, et al.Life (Basel). 2022 Aug 2;12(8):1179. doi: 10.3390/life12081179.Life (Basel). 2022.PMID:36013358Free PMC article.
- Integrative Korean medicine treatment without surgery for the management of subacute radiating pain attributed to vertebral artery loop formation: A case report and literature review.Yun JM, Go DH, Lee SH.Yun JM, et al.Medicine (Baltimore). 2025 Feb 28;104(9):e39483. doi: 10.1097/MD.0000000000039483.Medicine (Baltimore). 2025.PMID:40020132Free PMC article.Review.
- A case report of microvascular decompression for cervical myelopathy and radiculopathy caused by tortuous and abnormal bilateral vertebral artery.Omura N, Park Y, Ikeda S, Tanabe H.Omura N, et al.Surg Neurol Int. 2020 May 30;11:136. doi: 10.25259/SNI_240_2020. eCollection 2020.Surg Neurol Int. 2020.PMID:32547823Free PMC article.
- Ectatic vertebral artery associated medullary compression treated with microvascular decompression: a case report and review of literature.Bissell JN, Edelbach B, Gospodarev V, De Los Reyes KM, Pillai P.Bissell JN, et al.J Med Case Rep. 2024 Oct 8;18(1):485. doi: 10.1186/s13256-024-04713-x.J Med Case Rep. 2024.PMID:39375744Free PMC article.Review.
- Under pressure: pressure-dependent pontine compression by a dolichoectasia basilar artery, a case report.Martinez-Nunez AE, Fynke JE, Miller DJ.Martinez-Nunez AE, et al.Neuroradiol J. 2021 Dec;34(6):686-687. doi: 10.1177/19714009211017785. Epub 2021 May 24.Neuroradiol J. 2021.PMID:34028323Free PMC article.
References
Related information
LinkOut - more resources
Full Text Sources