• Katarzyna Natalia Kośla, Marcin Majos, Michał Podgórski, Michał Polguj, Mirosław Topol, Ludomir Stefańczyk, and Agata Majos.
• Department of Radiology and Diagnostic Imaging, Medical University of Łódź, Barlicki University Hospital No.1, 90-153 Łódź, Poland. Electronic address: katarzyna_kosla@wp.pl.
• Ann. Anat. 2014 Sep 1;196(5):360-4.

IntroductionThe purpose of this study was to determine whether any correlation exists between the level of entry of vertebral arteries (VAs) into the foramen transversarium (FT) and their anomalous course or diameter. To our knowledge there are no studies in the literature concerning the diameter of the vertebral artery (VA) as an impact factor on entrance level.Material And MethodsComputed tomography angiography (CTA) images of the aortic arch (AA) and its branches, obtained at the Department of Radiology, Medical University of Łódź from May 2009 to April 2012, were reviewed and the entrance points into the FT were determined.ResultsLeft vertebral arteries arising directly from the AA more often had an anomalous entrance point to the foramen transversarium and were more frequently hypoplastic. In addition, hypoplastic VAs entered the FT at an anomalous level more often than VAs with normal diameter.ConclusionThe left vertebral arteries arising directly from the aortic arch are often more hypoplastic and often enter the foramen transversarium at a different level from the C6 vertebrae. In patients with hypoplastic VA detected on the basis of ultrasound Color Doppler examination, the presence of anomalies must be considered when planning surgical treatment.Copyright © 2014 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

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