J Korean Med Sci.  2012 Jul;27(7):811-813. 10.3346/jkms.2012.27.7.811.

Hypoplasia of Left Vertebral Artery with Intimal Fibromuscular Dysplasia in a Korean Woman

• Hyun CL
• Park HS
• Shin HJ
• Yoon SP

• KMID: 2157929
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3346/jkms.2012.27.7.811

Abstract

We found a case of hypoplasia of vertebral artery with fibromuscular dysplasia in an 82-yr-old Korean female cadaver during a routine dissection course. In the present case, intracranial hypoplasia in left vertebral artery and bilateral origin of posterior inferior cerebellar artery at the vertebrobasilar junction were recognized. Histopathologically, left vertebral artery showed intimal type of fibromuscular dysplasia both in its extracranial and intracranial courses. These results indicate that the association of fibromuscular dysplasia and hypoplasia does exist in the vertebral artery, although the etiologies are not verified yet.

Keyword

Hypoplasia; Fibromuscular Dysplasia; Vertebral Artery

MeSH Terms

Aged, 80 and over
Female
Fibromuscular Dysplasia/*pathology
Heart Ventricles/abnormalities/*pathology
Humans
Republic of Korea
Vertebral Artery/*pathology

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1 Photographs of the vertebral arteries. Macroscopic hypoplasia was seen in left vertebral artery (VA), especially in the intracranial course. For histopathological classification, samples of the VA were obtained from its extracranial (VAe, A) and intracranial (VAi, B) course (arrows). Note the uncommon origin of the posterior inferior cerebellar arteries (arrowheads) from the basilar artery.

• 

  Fig. 2 Fibromuscular dysplasia of the vertebral artery (VA), intimal type. Right VA (A: hematoxylin and eosin, D: Orcein, G: anti-smooth muscle actin) was stained for control. Extracranial (VAe; B, E, H) and intracranial (VAi; C, F, I) left VA had stenotic lumen, marked fibrous thickening of tunica intima (TI), and disrupted internal elastic lamina (dotted arrows in E), while hyperplasia of smooth muscles in tunica media (TM) was not observed with anti-smooth muscle actin immunostaining (I). Neovascularization (asterisks) was also seen in left VAe with anti-CD31 immunostaining (rectangle from asterisk in B). Arrows, internal elastic lamina. Original magnification × 10 for A-C; × 40 for D-I.

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