Pseudocoarctation of the aorta is a rare congenital anomaly of the aortic arch, and it has been described as an elongation of the aortic arch with "kinking" at the level of the ligamentum arteriosum without a pressure gradient across the lesion. The treatment for this condition is controversial. We report here on an unusual case of pseudocoarctation of the aorta associated with the anomalous origin of the left vertebral artery and we include a review of the medical literature.
Aortic Coarctation/*complications ; Child ; Humans ; Male ; Vertebral Artery/*abnormalities

Ponticulus posticus is an abnormal bony bridge of posterior arch of atlas. The resulting foramen contains the vertebral artery and has clinical significance in lateral mass screw insertion into the first cervical vertebra. The authors report an atlantoaxial subluxation case showing a ponticulus posticus, which was surgically treated with posterior atlantoaxial screw fixation under the guidance of O-arm(R) imaging system coupled with navigation.
Atlanto-Axial Joint ; Congenital Abnormalities ; Humans ; Spine ; Vertebral Artery

We present here two patients that had an aberrant right subclavian artery and an anomalous origin of the right vertebral artery from the right common carotid artery. We review the previous literature and discuss herein the embryologic mechanism and clinical implications of this variation.
Adult ; Aged ; Carotid Artery, Common/*abnormalities/radiography ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Subclavian Artery/*abnormalities/radiography ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Vertebral Artery/*abnormalities/radiography

We present a case of an athetoid cerebral palsy with quadriparesis caused by kyphotic deformity of the cervical spine, severe spinal stenosis at the cervicomedullary junction, and atlantoaxial instability. The patient improved after the first surgery, which included a C1 total laminectomy and C-arm guided righ side unilateral C1-2 transarticular screw fixation. C1-2 fixation was not performed on the other side because of an aberrant and dominant vertebral artery (VA). Eight months after the first operation, the patient required revision surgery for persistent neck pain and screw malposition. We used intraoperative VA angiography with simultaneous fluoroscopy for precise image guidance during bilateral C1-2 transarticular screw fixation. Intraoperative VA angiography allowed the accurate insertion of screws, and can therefore be used to avoid VA injury during C1-2 transarticular screw fixation in comorbid patients with atlantoaxial deformities.
Angiography ; Cerebral Palsy ; Congenital Abnormalities ; Fluoroscopy ; Humans ; Laminectomy ; Neck Pain ; Quadriplegia ; Spinal Stenosis ; Spine ; Vertebral Artery

Cervical Atlas ; blood supply ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Vertebral Artery ; abnormalities

Tortuousity of the vertebral artery is clinically uncommon because it rarely causes symptoms. We described a patient with pain in the neck and both upper extremities in whom diagnosis of intervertebral foraminal widening and deformity of the vertebral artery were suggested by results of radiography and magnetic resonance. We confirmed the tortuous vertebral artery by results of computed tomography angiography. Correlation of the patient's symptoms and abnormalities was not clear; conservative treatment was administered.
Angiography ; Congenital Abnormalities ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy ; Neck ; Upper Extremity ; Vertebral Artery

STUDY DESIGN: Observational retrospective computed tomography (CT) based study. PURPOSE: To analyze the congenital anomalies of the cervical spine, their morphological variations and their clinical significance. OVERVIEW OF LITERATURE: Studies published to date have focused mainly on upper cervical anomalies; no study has comprehensively reported on anomalies of both the occipitocervical and subaxial cervical spine. METHODS: Nine hundred and thirty cervical spine CT scans performed in Ganga Hospital, Coimbatore, India between January 2014 and November 2017 were screened by two independent observers to document anomalies of both the upper and lower cervical spine. CT scans conducted for infection, tumor, and/or deformity were excluded. Different morphological variations, embryological basis, and clinical significance of the anomalies were discussed. RESULTS: Of the 930 CT scans screened, 308 (33.1%) had congenital anomaly. Of these, 184 (59.7%) were males and 124 (40.2.7%) were females, with a mean age of 44.2 years (range, 14–78 years). A total of 377 anomalies were identified, with 69 cases (7.4%) having more than one anomaly. Two hundred and fifty (26.8%) anomalies of the upper cervical region (occiput to C2–C3 disk space) were identified, with the most common upper cervical anomalies being high-riding vertebral artery (108 cases, 11.6%) and ponticulus posticus (PP) (75 cases, 8%). One hundred and twenty seven (13.6%) anomalies of the lower cervical spine (C3–C7) were noted, of which double foramen transversarium was the most common anomaly observed in 46 cases (4.8%). CONCLUSIONS: We found that 33.1% of CT scans had at least one congenital anomaly. Some anomalies, such as abnormal facet complex and arch anomalies, have to be differentiated from fractures in a trauma patient. Other anomalies, like PP, have to be looked for during preoperative planning to avoid complications during surgery. Therefore, knowledge of these anomalies is important as different anomalies have different clinical courses and management.
Congenital Abnormalities ; Female ; Humans ; India ; Male ; Retrospective Studies ; Spine ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Vertebral Artery

OBJECTIVE: Sometimes a vertebral artery (VA) enters the spinal canal via the C1–2 intervertebral space, a variation regarded as a C2 segmental-type VA. This paper describes the anatomy of the C2 segmental-type VA and reviews its clinical importance.METHODS: Between March 2014 and November 2015, 3386 patients underwent computed tomographic angiography. I identified C2 segmental-type VAs, associated vascular variation, the origin of ipsilateral posterior inferior cerebellar arteries (PICAs), and the clinical symptoms associated with C2 segmental-type VAs. The origin of an ipsilateral PICA is divided into 5 types. A type 1 PICA originates from ipsilateral VAs coursing suboccipitally (IVASO), a type 2 originates from ipsilateral proximal C2 segmental-type VAs, a type 3 originates from ipsilateral distal C2 segmental-type VAs. For type 4, the PICA does not originate from an ipsilateral VA. For type 5, the PICA is the terminal end of an ipsilateral C2 segmental-type VA.RESULTS: One hundred thirteen patients had 121 C2 segmental-type VAs; 47 were associated with an IVASO, and 74 were not. Four type 1, 13 type 2, 60 type 3, 42 type 4, and two type 5 PICAs were identified. Only one patient showed symptoms associated with a C2 segmental-type VA, being a 71-year-old man presenting with a C2 segmental-type VA infarction.CONCLUSION: For C2 segmental-type VAs, the ipsilateral IVASO and origin of the PICA are important for predicting the outcome of this type of VA infarction.
Aged ; Angiography ; Arteries ; Congenital Abnormalities ; Humans ; Infarction ; Pica ; Spinal Canal ; Vertebral Artery

*Abnormalities, Multiple/radiography ; Basilar Artery/*abnormalities ; Basilar Artery/radiography ; Carotid Artery, Internal/radiography ; Intracranial Aneurysm/*complications ; Intracranial Aneurysm/radiography ; Vertebral Artery/radiography

Neurofibromatosis 1 (NF1) is a common autosomal dominant disorder that causes several systemic diseases. Many studies have reported that NF1 is associated with intrathoracic meningoceles and scoliosis. The incidence of vertebral artery dissection is estimated to be 1-1.5 per 100,000 population. We experienced an autopsy case of massive intrathoracic hemorrhage due to spontaneous vertebral artery dissection in a patient with NF1, who had intrathoracic spinal meningoceles and scoliosis. A 47-year-old man was found dead at his home in the morning. He had a history of NF1 including numerous cutaneous neurofibromas and hyperpigmented macules, scoliosis, and deformity of the leg. The autopsy revealed the dissection and rupture of the left vertebral artery, and a pseudocyst that had formed due to arterial leakage on the wall of the meningocele on the left side. The pseudocyst had eventually ruptured and leaked blood, resulting in a massive hemothorax on the left side. Thus, it was revealed that the patient had suffered from NF1-associated intrathoracic meningoceles and scoliosis, and we concluded that the cause of his death was a massive hemothorax on the left side, caused by the dissection and rupture of the left vertebral artery.
Autopsy* ; Congenital Abnormalities ; Hemorrhage ; Hemothorax ; Humans ; Incidence ; Leg ; Meningocele* ; Middle Aged ; Neurofibroma ; Neurofibromatoses* ; Neurofibromatosis 1* ; Rupture ; Scoliosis* ; Vertebral Artery Dissection* ; Vertebral Artery*