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Case Reports
. 2015 Jan 30;7(1):e245.
doi: 10.7759/cureus.245. eCollection 2015 Jan.

Vertebral Artery Fenestration

Alp Ozpinar  1 , Stephen T Magill  2 , Jason M Davies  2 , Michael W McDermott  3
Affiliations
Case Reports

Vertebral Artery Fenestration

Alp Ozpinar et al. Cureus. .

Abstract

Fenestration of the vertebral artery is a rare vascular anomaly that has been observed at autopsy and on angiography. It is most commonly seen in the extracranial segments of the vertebral artery. This congenital anomaly can arise during multiple different stages of embryological development of the vertebral artery. The clinical significance is unclear, but multiple studies have reported association with other vascular anomalies. Awareness of vascular anomalies is crucial to avoid iatrogenic injuries during endovascular diagnostic and therapeutic interventions. Here, we present a case of a patient with an intracranial vertebral artery fenestration that was identified during work-up for a foramen magnum mass.

Keywords: anatomy; fenestration; vascular; vertebral artery.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Radiographic and Intraoperative Images of Fenestrated Vertebral Artery
MRA time of flight study demonstrating rotated views of the vertebrobasilar circulation. The right vertebral artery demonstrates fenestration in the V4 segment (A-C). Intraoperative photo demonstrating intradural origin and fenestration of the right vertebral artery (D).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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