Tortuous vertebrobasilar arteries causing cranial nerve syndromes: Screening by computed tomography

Considerable concern with cranial nerve syndromes has often required detailed information of the relationship between the vertebrobasilar system and the brainstem. The obvious invasiveness of conventional vertebral angiography poses the question of whether computed tomography (CT) might serve as a satisfactory screening technique or even as a sufficient diagnostic method. During a 12 month period, 12 of 250 patients with cranial nerve syndromes were diagnosed by CT as having vertebrobasilar ectasia. This communication correlates the clinical symptomatology with angiography and CT and presents evidence that CT alone can prove satisfactory.