Vertebrobasilar infarcts in patients with dolichoectatic basilar artery.

We reported 18 patients who had stroke in the posterior circulation with dolichoectatic basilar artery. TIAs preceded posterior circulation infarct in 5 patients. Strokes involved medulla oblongata (3), pons (4), cerebellum (4), mesencephalon (4), thalamus or occipital lobe (3). Dolichoectatic basilar artery also produced hydrocephalus in one patient. The mechanism of stroke may be due to penetrating artery occlusion, basilar artery thrombosis or an embolism from the abnormal basilar artery. Short-term prognosis was poor seeing that 4 patients died within 12 days of stroke.