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Vol 79, No 2 (2020)
Original article
Submitted: 2019-05-17
Accepted: 2019-06-13
Published online: 2019-06-27
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Internal carotid and vertebral arteries diameters and their interrelationships to sex and left/right side

G. Spasojević1, S. Vujmilović2, Z. Vujković3, R. Gajanin4, S. Malobabić5, N. Ponorac6, L. Preradović7
DOI: 10.5603/FM.a2019.0071
·
Pubmed: 31257563
·
Folia Morphol 2020;79(2):219-225.
Affiliations
  1. University of Banja Luka,Faculty of Medicine,Department of Anatomy,, Save Mrkalja 14, 7800 Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina
  2. Department of Radiology, Faculty of Medicine, University Clinical Centre of Republic Srpska, University of Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina
  3. Neurology Clinic, Faculty of Medicine, University Clinical Centre of Republic Srpska, University of Banja Luka, Dvanest beba bb, 78000 Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina
  4. Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, University Clinical Centre of Republic of Srpska, University of Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina
  5. Institute of Anatomy Dr. Niko Miljanić, Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Dr Subotića 4, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
  6. Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina
  7. Informatic in Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Banja Luka, Save Mrkalja 14, 78000 Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina

open access

Vol 79, No 2 (2020)
ORIGINAL ARTICLES
Submitted: 2019-05-17
Accepted: 2019-06-13
Published online: 2019-06-27

Abstract

Background: The available anatomical data about diameters of inflow vessels to the circle of Willis reflect various diagnostic and imaging methods used, sample sizes, levels of measurements, and lack of possible specific ethnic, regional or genetic data. Additionally, the data are often without distinctions about left-right or sex.

Materials and methods: Therefore, using computed tomography angiography (CTA) we investigated diameters of internal carotid (ICA) and vertebral (VA) arteries in 70 adult persons (28–75 years) of both sexes (34 males and 36 females), at predefined cervical parts of ICA (2 cm above carotid bifurcation) and of VA (5 mm before VA penetrated the dura).

Results: Sex differences were expressed as highly significant larger diameters of left VA (LVA) in males (3.49 mm) than in females (3.00 mm), and as significantly larger diameters of right VA (RVA) in males (3.20 mm) than in females (2.82 mm), as well as of right ICA (RICA) diameters in males (5.04 mm) than in females (4.56 mm), but without such difference for left ICA (LICA) between males (4.82 mm) and females (4.60 mm). Intrasex (in males or in females) left-right differences of ICA and VA diameters were not significant. Significant positive correlations were found in females between RICA and RVA, and in males between RICA and LICA. Calculated mean sum of ipsilateral diameters of right arteries (RAA = RICA + RVA) was in males 8.25 mm, in females 7.38 mm, and of left arteries (LAA = LICA + LVA) was in males 8.31, and in females 7.60 mm, without statistically significant difference between RAA and LAA, neither in males, nor in females. Statistically highly significant larger sums of diameters were in males than in females for both, RAA and LAA.

Conclusions: Our findings, as the first data about diameters of ICA and VA systematically obtained by CTA in the population of western Balkans, suggest that in the studies of these diameters is absolutely necessary to analyse separately the data for sex, and to use defined standard levels.

Abstract

Background: The available anatomical data about diameters of inflow vessels to the circle of Willis reflect various diagnostic and imaging methods used, sample sizes, levels of measurements, and lack of possible specific ethnic, regional or genetic data. Additionally, the data are often without distinctions about left-right or sex.

Materials and methods: Therefore, using computed tomography angiography (CTA) we investigated diameters of internal carotid (ICA) and vertebral (VA) arteries in 70 adult persons (28–75 years) of both sexes (34 males and 36 females), at predefined cervical parts of ICA (2 cm above carotid bifurcation) and of VA (5 mm before VA penetrated the dura).

Results: Sex differences were expressed as highly significant larger diameters of left VA (LVA) in males (3.49 mm) than in females (3.00 mm), and as significantly larger diameters of right VA (RVA) in males (3.20 mm) than in females (2.82 mm), as well as of right ICA (RICA) diameters in males (5.04 mm) than in females (4.56 mm), but without such difference for left ICA (LICA) between males (4.82 mm) and females (4.60 mm). Intrasex (in males or in females) left-right differences of ICA and VA diameters were not significant. Significant positive correlations were found in females between RICA and RVA, and in males between RICA and LICA. Calculated mean sum of ipsilateral diameters of right arteries (RAA = RICA + RVA) was in males 8.25 mm, in females 7.38 mm, and of left arteries (LAA = LICA + LVA) was in males 8.31, and in females 7.60 mm, without statistically significant difference between RAA and LAA, neither in males, nor in females. Statistically highly significant larger sums of diameters were in males than in females for both, RAA and LAA.

Conclusions: Our findings, as the first data about diameters of ICA and VA systematically obtained by CTA in the population of western Balkans, suggest that in the studies of these diameters is absolutely necessary to analyse separately the data for sex, and to use defined standard levels.

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Keywords

internal carotid, vertebral artery, diameters, left-right differences, sex differences

About this article
Title

Internal carotid and vertebral arteries diameters and their interrelationships to sex and left/right side

Journal

Folia Morphologica

Issue

Vol 79, No 2 (2020)

Article type

Original article

Pages

219-225

Published online

2019-06-27

Page views

2560

Article views/downloads

1265

DOI

10.5603/FM.a2019.0071

Pubmed

31257563

Bibliographic record

Folia Morphol 2020;79(2):219-225.

Keywords

internal carotid
vertebral artery
diameters
left-right differences
sex differences

Authors

G. Spasojević
S. Vujmilović
Z. Vujković
R. Gajanin
S. Malobabić
N. Ponorac
L. Preradović

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