A typical course of v3 segment of the right vertebral artery: a case study and literature overview.

PURPOSE: To describe a case of atypical course of V3 segment of the right vertebral artery (VA) that runs through the hypoglossal canal.

METHODS

A 60-year-old female was qualified as clinical control group to participate in a clinical trial and two imaging methods in High Field Magnetic Resonance Imaging (1.5T): 3D FFE TOF and 3D T1 MPRAGE were performed.

RESULTS

In this case, the right VA enters the skull abnormally, through the hypoglossal canal. Research has shown that it is presumably a variant of persistent primitive hypoglossal artery (PPHA) or a partial persistence of the PPHA incorporated into the VA. Previous MRI images did not reveal any abnormalities in the structure in the vasculature of the brain, as well.

CONCLUSION

Proper recognition and analysis of vascular variations are critical to avoid iatrogenic complications or to plan surgery of head or neck regions. Secondly, such anatomic variation may predispose a patient to ischemic attacks due to insufficient blood flow or aneurysms due to a weakened wall or stenosis of the VA.