Search PubMed⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search PubMed

Results for “BASILAR ARTERY”

Search indexed PubMed citations on genomics, clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health. Explore titles, authors and supplied subject terms, then open the PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources

[Arterial thrombolysis and angioplasty in atheromatous basilar artery occlusion].

Basilar occlusions treated with conventional therapy (anticoagulants or antiplatelets) have a poor outcome (80p. cent mortality). This unfavorable outcome may require a treatment within 6 hours by intra-arterial thrombolysis, sometimes followed by percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) in case of atherothrombotic occlusion due to a tight atherosclerotic stenosis. A 48 year-old patient, presented with left hemiparesis, left multimodal hypoesthesia, paralytic dysarthria. CT-scan showed a spontaneous hyperdensity of the basilar artery and arterial occclusion was confirmed by angiography, which showed an atherothrombotic occlusion involving the proximal part of the vessel. Intra-arterial thrombolysis began five hours after the onset with 0,25mg/kg of Rt-Pa (Actilyse((R))), given by bolus followed by 4 others bolus of 10mg. After a total dose of 60mg, arterial recanalization was obtained showing a tight atherosclerotic stenosis involving the proximal part of the basilar artery. PTA was performed 18 hours later with a ballon inflation at 6 atmospheres during 20 seconds. It allowed to decrease the stenosis from 80p. cent to 60p. cent. The patient recovered and MRI at D20 showed a small right lateral infarct involving the pons. Our study confirms the usefulness of intra-arterial thrombolysis in basilar artery occlusion. Consecutive PTA may be proposed in case of associated atherosclerotic stenosis, and the interest of PTA is further discussed.

Angioplasty, Balloon↗

Thrombolytic therapy and posterior circulation extracranial-intracranial bypass for acute basilar artery thrombosis. Case report.

Basilar artery thrombosis has a very poor prognosis. A 56-year-old comatose man with acute basilar artery occlusion was successfully treated with local urokinase infusion which reopened the basilar artery and revealed a midbasilar stenotic plaque. This procedure was followed by a superficial temporal artery to superior cerebellar artery anastomosis for protection of the posterior circulation.

Acute Disease↗

Coronary artery ectasia, aneurysm of the basilar artery and varicose veins: common presentation or generalized defect of the vessel wall? A case report.

A young man who suffered from an acute myocardial infarction is presented. He presented coronary artery ectasia along with coronary artery disease. Further evaluation revealed the presence of both a saccular aneurysm of the basilar artery as well as varicose veins of the lower limbs. A common pathogenic mechanism is discussed since all these findings are characterized by similar histologic substrate with the most profound defect being destruction of the myoelastic elements of the media.

Adult↗

[Cerebral vasospasm: comparison of contractile responses in isolated human and canine basilar arteries].

Differences between human and canine basilar arteries in contractile responses to various agents were studied in vitro. Human basilar arteries were obtained at postmortem. Serotonin or prostaglandin F2 alpha contracted greatly both human and canine basilar arteries. There was no difference between the two vessels in serotonin- or prostaglandin F2 alpha-induced contractions. In contrast, great differences were found between the two arteries in response to norepinephrine or hemoglobin. Human basilar arteries contracted markedly to norepinephrine while canine basilar arteries did not contract to norepinephrine. This data suggests that sympathetics might play a more important role in the genesis of vasospasm after subarachnoid hemorrhage than has been previously thought. Hemoglobin did not elicit a contraction in human basilar arteries whereas it produced marked contractions in canine basilar arteries. This result indicates that possible participation of hemoglobin as a causative agent in vasospasm could be ruled out. In view of these differences between human and canine cerebral arteries, the canine seems unsuitable for an experimental model of cerebral vasospasm.

Animals↗

Intra-arterial simultaneous administration of anandamide attenuates endothelin-1 induced vasospasm in rabbit basilar arteries.

BACKGROUND: Anandamide induces not only endothelium-dependent vasodilatation through cannabinoid receptors but also some endothelium- independent vasodilator effect by calcitonin gene-related peptide release through vanilloid receptors. Endothelin-1, a powerful vasoconstrictive peptide derived from endothelial cells, has been shown to be converted to its active form after cleaving by a vascular matrix metalloproteinase which is also involved in inactivation of calcitonin gene-related peptide. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether anandamide inhibits the acute vascular and morphological effects of Endothelin-1 applied intra-arterially on rabbit basilar arteries. METHOD: Fifteen albino rabbits were anaesthetised and underwent placement of a vertebral artery catheter for angiography of the basilar artery. Animals were divided, arbitrarily, into animals in which there was either intra-arterial injection of saline (Group I, n=5), Endothelin-1 (Group II, n=5) and Endothelin-1 and anandamide (Group III, n=5). The diameter of the basilar artery between the pre and post injection angiograms was measured in each of the three groups and transmission electron microscopic investigations on basilar arteries were performed. FINDINGS: Angiographic studies showed that simultaneous administration of anandamide significantly attenuated Endothelin-1 induced vasoconstriction. Furthermore, it was demonstrated that anandamide reversed the morphological changes induced by Endothelin-1 on the vessel wall. INTERPRETATION: These results indicated that anandamide overcomes the angiographic and morphological effects of intrarterially administered ET-1 induced vasospasm in rabbit basilar arteries probably by induction of CGRP related vasodilatation through vanilloid receptors and prevents the acute ET-1 induced ultrastructural vessel wall damage.

Animals↗

A case of basilar artery occlusion associated with unilateral low origin of the posterior inferior cerebellar artery.

A case of basilar artery occlusion is reported. The patient suddenly developed dizziness and weakness of the right side. Computed tomography scanning showed focal low attenuation in the left quadrangular lobule of the pons. Cerebral angiography demonstrated proximal occlusion of the basilar artery and significant collateral flow in the posterior fossa from the left posterior inferior cerebellar artery (PICA), which arose from the vertebral artery far below the foramen magnum. The literature concerning the origin of the PICA is reviewed.

Arterial Occlusive Diseases↗

Basilar artery dissection.

Dissection of the basilar artery caused sudden coma and death in a 40-year-old man. Atypical clinical features were explained at necropsy. A ventral dissection of the artery within its outer layers resulted in destruction of the pontine tegmentum with sparing of the basis pontis. An unsuspected defect in the internal elastic lamina in the left internal carotid artery was also found suggesting a more generalised disorder of arterial walls. Basilar artery dissection should be considered in the diagnosis of coma in young people.

Adult↗

Measurement of basilar artery bending and elongation by magnetic resonance cerebral angiography: relationship to age, sex and vertebral artery dominance.

Elongation and bending of the basilar artery are frequently observed in both normal and pathological subjects. However, their mechanism of generation remain unclear. In the present study, we measured basilar arteries in patients and normal subjects using magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) and estimated the relationships between these anatomical changes and some factors such as age, sex and vertebral artery dominance. A total of 510 subjects underwent MRA. Basilar artery length (BAL), bending length (BL), or side of bending of basilar artery was estimated on the plain images including the basilar artery in two groups with and without vertebral union. BAL was longer in males than in females (P = 0.0009) and correlated with age (P < 0.0001) in the population with vertebral union, while BL did not differ between genders and was not correlated with age in this population. Both BAL and BL were longer in subjects with vertebral artery dominance than in subjects with equivalent-sized vertebral arteries in the population with vertebral union (P < 0.0001 and P = 0.0005). No difference in the frequency of basilar artery bending was observed between males and females and no correlation was observed between the frequency of basilar artery bending and ages in subjects without vertebral artery union. A significant negative correlation between the side of bending of the basilar artery and dominant side of vertebral arteries was found for group of all patients (P < 0.0001). BAL growth may mainly depend on aging, and the presence of vertebral artery dominance may contribute to the growth of BAL while BL growth may depend on vertebral artery dominance mainly in the contralateral direction.

Adolescent↗

The inhibitory action of FR 34235 (a new Ca2+ entry blocker) as compared to nimodipine and nifedipine on the contractile response to norepinephrine, potassium and 5-hydroxytryptamine in rabbit basilar artery.

In isolated basilar arteries, FR 34235 (FR), a new Ca2+ entry blocker, inhibited the contractile response to potassium, norepinephrine and 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) in a dose-dependent manner. The potency of the inhibitory action of FR was in the following order: potassium greater than 5-HT greater than norepinephrine. Nifedipine had a similar inhibitory action on the responses. Nimodipine had no inhibitory effect on the response to norepinephrine but suppressed the responses to potassium and 5-HT.

Animals↗

Mathematical models of the flow in the basilar artery.

The flow in the basilar artery arises from the merging of the flows from the two vertebral arteries. This study deals with the question whether a parabolic (Poiseuille) profile will have been established before the basilar artery divides into both posterior cerebral arteries. The inlet length (that is, the downstream distance needed for the flow to become approximately equal to the limiting Poiseuille flow) and velocity profiles have been computed from two- and three-dimensional mathematical models in which flow pulsatility and vessel wall distensibility have been neglected and the complex geometry of the junction has been taken into account in a simplified form. The results show that the flow at the end of the basilar artery is far from being parabolic and that an asymmetry in the entrance flow will be carried along towards the end of the basilar artery, thus affecting flows in the circle of Willis.

Basilar Artery↗

[Identification of the basilar artery with transcranial Doppler sonography].

In 100 normal subjects the flow velocity in the terminal segments of the vertebral arteries and the basilar artery was investigated by suboccipital transcranial Doppler sonography. In normal cases, flow velocity and direction are not sufficient criteria to differentiate these arteries. Using anatomical and haemodynamical parameters it can be shown that a Doppler signal originating from the basilar artery cannot be expected in a depth of less than 85 mm, thus being deeper than it is usually reported in the literature. Due to methodological limitations, the basilar artery cannot be insonated in about 30% of cases.

Adult↗

Neurogenic regulation of cochlear blood flow occurs along the basilar artery, the anterior inferior cerebellar artery and at branch points of the spiral modiolar artery.

The cochlea receives its main blood supply from the basilar artery via the anterior inferior cerebellar artery and the spiral modiolar artery. Morphologic studies have shown sympathetic innervation along the spiral modiolar artery of the gerbil and the guinea pig and functional studies in the isolated in vitro superfused spiral modiolar artery of the gerbil have demonstrated norepinephrine-induced vasoconstrictions via alpha(1A)-adrenergic receptors. It is current unclear whether the sympathetic innervation is physiologically relevant. Stimulation of sympathetic ganglia in guinea pigs has been shown to alter cochlear blood flow in situ. Whether these changes originated from local or more systemic changes in the vascular diameter remained uncertain. The goal of the present study was to demonstrate the presence or absence of neurogenic changes in the diameter of the isolated in vitro superfused spiral modiolar artery, anterior inferior cerebellar artery and basilar artery from the gerbil and the guinea pig. Vascular diameter was monitored by videomicroscopy. Electric field stimulation was used to elicit neurotransmitter release. A reversible inhibitory effect of 10(-6) M tetrodotoxin was taken as criterion to discriminate between neurogenic and myogenic changes in vascular diameter. Mesentery arteries of comparable diameter, which are known to respond with a neurogenic vasoconstriction to electric field stimulation, served as controls. Basilar artery, anterior inferior cerebellar artery, spiral modiolar artery and mesentery arteries constricted in response to electric field stimulation. No dilations were observed. Myogenic and neurogenic vasoconstrictions were observed in all vessels. These observations suggest that the sympathetic innervation of the basilar artery, the anterior inferior cerebellar artery and branch points of the spiral modiolar artery is involved in a physiologically relevant control of the vascular diameter in the gerbil and the guinea pig.

Animals↗

Virtual arterial endoscopy as a diagnostic aid in a patient with basilar artery fenestration and thromboembolic pontine infarct.

Focal signal intensity loss of the basilar artery on MR angiograms obtained in a 69-year-old man was considered to be caused by an embolus, and thrombolytic therapy was initiated. On the follow-up MR angiograms, the same oval signal intensity loss of the basilar artery was observed. On the basis of a virtual endoscopic look into the basilar artery, the diagnosis of a rare vascular anomaly--a fenestration of the basilar artery--was confirmed and the presence of a thrombus at the site of the signal intensity loss was excluded.

Aged↗

Does thromboxane A2 synthase inhibitor UK-38485 prevent the vasoconstrictor effects of endothelin-1 on rabbit basilar artery?

Prevention of the production of thromboxane A2--a potent vasoconstrictor and aggregating metabolite of arachidonic acid--or infusion of the stable analogues of prostacyclin--which is another cyclo-oxygenase metabolite of arachidonic acid--has been shown to be beneficial in cerebral vasoconstriction. Endothelin-1, a peptide derived from endothelial cells, has been shown to induce a long-lasting cerebral vasoconstriction both in vivo and in vitro. The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of a novel thromboxane A2-synthase inhibitor UK 38485 on the acute vascular and morphological effects of Endothelin-1 applied intra-arterially on rabbit basilar arteries. The inguinal region of twenty four anaesthetized albino rabbits of both sexes were dissected and a catheter was inserted into the aorta via the femoral artery, for control angiography of the basilar artery and intra-arterial injection of ET-1 (0.25 ng total dose) and UK 38485 at a dose of 0.05 microgram kg-1 min-1 for 20 min or saline. Angiographic vasoconstriction quantification and morphological investigations of both vessels and brain stem either by light microscopy or transmission electron microscopy were the techniques applied for the study. We found out that, although the systemic administration of UK 38485 resulted in a potent antagonism of the acute vasoconstriction as visualized in angiographic studies, it did not affect the morphological changes induced by Endothelin-1 on the vessel wall. The results indicated that there might have been an interaction between Endothelin-1 and the prostaglandin synthesis mechanism in acute cerebral vasoconstriction.

Animals↗

Computation of steady three-dimensional flow in a model of the basilar artery.

The flow in the basilar artery arises from the merging of the flows from the two vertebral arteries. To study the flow phenomena in the basilar artery, computations have been performed using a finite element (FE) method. We consider steady flow in a geometrically symmetric confluence. For simplicity, channels with a rectangular cross-section have been used. Both symmetric and asymmetric flow cases have been considered. The results show that for the Reynolds number of interest the flow downstream of the junction is highly three-dimensional, and that the flow at the end of the basilar artery, where it splits again, will not be fully developed. The computed phenomena have been confirmed by laser Doppler velocity measurements.

Basilar Artery↗

Acute cerebellar edema following intra-arterial tissue plasminogen activator thrombolysis for basilar artery occlusion--case report.

A 61-year-old male developed acute cerebellar swelling after thrombolytic therapy for basilar artery occlusion. He was treated with intra-arterial tissue plasminogen activator 12 hours following symptomatic onset, and did well in the immediate post-treatment period but deteriorated the next day. Computed tomography demonstrated acute cerebellar edema and hydrocephalus. Suboccipital external decompression and ventricular drainage were performed. He survived and 1 year later he could perform daily activities at home. Computed tomography and angiography are essential to monitor the post-treatment course following thrombolysis of vertebrobasilar occlusive disease.

Acute Disease↗