Abstract

SUMMARYA patient with evidence of ischemia of the brain-stem had demonstrated arteriographically a stenosis of the right vertebral artery at its origin and occlusion of the left vertebral artery. At operation the stenotic lesion was found to be a fibromuscular thickening of intima producing a kinking of the vertebral artery at the subclaviovertebral junction. In addition, there was a narrowing at the junction. It was proved arteriographically, at operation, that the kink was not responsible for the reduced flow, there being a true stenosis of the vessel. A patch graft at the subclaviovertebral junction relieved the ischemia.