Vascular Disorders Health Channel

	Feature Article Illustrations for this article Click on an image below to enlarge Vertebral column Arteries of the brain Vertebrobasilar circulatory disorders Definition Vertebrobasilar circulatory disorders are conditions in which blood supply to the back of the brain is disrupted. See also: Transient ischemic attack Stroke Alternative Names Vertebrobasilar insufficiency; Posterior circulation ischemia Causes, incidence, and risk factors The vertebrobasilar system is also called the back (posterior) circulation of the brain. Three main blood vessels provide blood flow to the back of the brain: One basilar artery Two vertebral arteries The back of the brain contains structures that are crucial for keeping a person alive. For instance, the brainstem controls breathing and swallowing, among other things. Parts of the brain help with vision (occipital lobes) and movement coordination (cerebellus) are also located in the back of the brain. Many different conditions may cause blood flow in the back part of the brain to be reduced or stopped. The most common cause is a stroke due to hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis). Vertebrobasilar vascular disorders may also be caused if a tear ( dissection) in an artery wall leads to the release of a clot that blocks blood flow. Dissection can be caused by clogged arteries, conditions such as fibromuscular dysplasia, or injuries such a car accident. It may even be caused by manipulations of the neck by a chiropractor, or during massage. However, most of the time, no apparent cause of dissection can be identified. When vertebrobasilar disease is present in a younger person, dissection of one of the arteries is often the cause. Other less common causes of vertebrobasilar vascular disorders include connective tissue diseases and vasculitis. Symptoms Difficulty keeping your balance Difficulty swallowing Difficulty walking Double vision or vision loss Headache Hearing loss Nausea and vomiting Neck ache Numbness or tingling Poor coordination Sleepiness or even apparent sleep from which the person can not be awakened Slurred speech Stroke or transient ischemic attack Vertigo (sensation of things spinning around) Signs and tests Tests depend on the possible underlying cause, but may include: CT or MRI of the brain Computed tomography angiography (CTA), magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) or ultrasound to look at blood vessels in the brain Blood tests, including blood clotting studies Echocardiogram Electrocardiogram (ECG) and Holter monitor Lumbar puncture (spinal tap) -- rarely needed X-rays of the arteries ( angiogram) Treatment Sudden onset of vertebrobasilar symptoms is a medical emergency tha ... Continue reading this article

More Articles

Pulmonary hypertension (2 Images) (Doctor-Reviewed information)
Pulmonary hypertension is abnormally high blood pressure in the arteries of the lungs. It makes the right side of the heart need to work harder than normal.Pulmonary arterial hypertension; Sporadic primary pulmonary hypertension; Familial primary ...Reviewer: Allen J. Blaivas, DO, Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine UMDNJ-NJMS, Attending Physician in the Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Department of Veterans Affairs, VA New Jersey Health Care System, East Orange, NJ. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.Date: 04/24/2009
Email  |  Save

Pulmonary embolus (3 Images) (Doctor-Reviewed information)
A pulmonary embolus is a blockage of an artery in the lungs by fat, air, a blood clot, or tumor cells.Venous thromboembolism; Lung blood clot; Blood clot- lung; Embolus; Tumor embolus.A pulmonary embolus is most often caused by a blood clot in a v...Reviewer: David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine; Yi-Bin Chen, MD, Leukemia/Bone Marrow Transplant Program, Massachusetts General Hospital. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.Date: 01/27/2009
Email  |  Save

Raynaud's phenomenon (3 Images) (Doctor-Reviewed information)
Raynaud’s phenomenon is a condition in which cold temperatures or strong emotions cause blood vessel spasms that block blood flow to the fingers, toes, ears, and nose.Raynaud''s phenomenon can be associated with other conditions. This is call...Reviewer: Mark James Borigini, Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.Date: 05/31/2009
Email  |  Save

Varicose veins (2 Images) (Doctor-Reviewed information)
Varicose veins are swollen, twisted, painful veins that have filled with an abnormal collection of blood.Reviewer: Charlotte Grayson, MD, Private Practice specializing in Internal Medicine, Smyrna, GA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.Date: 08/08/2008
Email  |  Save

Cavernous sinus thrombosis (1 Image) (Doctor-Reviewed information)
Cavernous sinus thrombosis is a blood clot in the cavernous sinus. The cavernous sinus is a cavity at the base of the brain that contains a vein, several nerves, and other structures. Reviewer: David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine. James R. Mason, MD, Oncologist, Director, Blood and Marrow Transplantation Program and Stem Cell Processing Lab, Scripps Clinic, Torrey Pines, California. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.Date: 08/18/2008
Email  |  Save

Use Healthline to search the web for more Vascular Disorders information.