Three-Dimensional Time-of-Flight Magnetic Resonance Angiography Detection of Duplication of the Vertebral Artery in a Large Chinese Population

BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to investigate duplication of the vertebral artery (VA) using three-dimensional time-of-flight (3D TOF) magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) in a large study population to further our understanding of vascular variations. MATERIAL AND METHODS A retrospective analysis of 3D TOF-MRA data in 12 826 cases was performed. The occurrence rate of VA duplication was calculated and accompanied vascular anomalies were recoded. RESULTS Twenty-one VA duplication patients were found, with an occurrence rate of 0.164%; 12 of them had left VA duplication with 2 branches initially arising from the aortic arch and left subclavian artery; 9 of them were right VA duplication with the branches originating from the right subclavian artery. In the 21 cases, 11 had other vascular abnormalities. CONCLUSIONS VA duplication is very rare and often associated with other vascular abnormalities. 3D TOF-MRA can accurately display the duplication variation. Better understanding of the variation is instrumental for disease diagnosis, interventional therapy, and surgical operation.