3 years). The distribution of other vascular risk factors in both groups was represented as follows (Fig. 1D): hypertension (n = 40 patients), diabetes mellitus (n = 19), hyperlipidemia (n = 17) and smoking (n = 16). The frequency

of the presence of these risk factors (hypertension: p = 0.99; diabetes mellitus: BGJ398 mouse p = 0.26 and smoking: p = 0.45) in patients with posterior circulation strokes with or without VAH did not differ. We found that in the group of patients without VAH hyperlipidemia occurred more often than in the VAH group (16:1). There was a statistically significant relationship between finding of non-VAH and hyperlipidemia (p = 0.027). Possible mechanism of stroke were embolism, especially cardioembolism (n = 10), atherosclerotic changes of vessels (small vessel disease n = 16, or large vessel disease n = 25). In 6 cases, the mechanism of stroke was cryptogenic (unknown mechanism n = 6) ( Fig. 1E). The frequency of the presence of the stroke mechanisms (cardioembolism: p = 0.69; atherosclerotic changes of large vessels: p = 0.14) in non-VAH and VAH groups did not differ. There was a non-significant Seliciclib in vitro tendency (p = 0.053) for atherosclerotic changes of small vessels to be more frequent in posterior circulation strokes with VAH than in non-VAH group (6:10). We found no recurrent strokes

of the posterior circulation over the 1.5-year period of this still ongoing study. Ischemic stroke localized in the vertebrobasilar circulation territory aminophylline accounts for about a quarter of all ischemic strokes [11] and [12]. Mumenthaler describes the presence of ischemia in this localization in 15% of strokes [13]. The clinical significance of vertebral artery hypoplasia is currently not sufficiently recognized. Perren et al. carried out a study which examined 725 patients with established diagnosis of first ever stroke. Two thirds of ischemic events were localized

in the carotid circulation and 247 patients had ischemia in the posterior fossa. Vertebral artery hypoplasia was observed in 13% of ischemic strokes in the posterior fossa, in the other localizations the presence of VAH was 4.6%. Based on these results, the authors conclude that the hypoplastic vertebral artery on one side (predominantly right – in the study group in 70%) is more frequently a possible risk factor for vertebrobasilar ischemia, as compared to other localizations of stroke. According to this, vertebral artery hypoplasia was considered as a risk factor, equivalent to other conventional risk factors such as hypertension, diabetes, smoking and hyperlipidemia [14]. In the article “Arterial occlusion – depending on the size (diameter) of blood vessels?” Caplan declared essential importance of baseline vessel diameter before subsequent obstruction of any etiology occurs [15]. He stated that a restricted artery (in the paired arteries) is more prone to closure, especially when other vascular risk factors are present.