BASILAR ARTERY INFARCT

Course overview

THE BASILAR ARTERY (BA) IS FORMED OVER THE SURFACE OF THE PONS BY TWO VERTEBRAL ARTERIES TO SUPPLY THE CRITICAL AREAS OF THE BRAIN AND BRAINSTEM. ANATOMICALLY, IT CAN BE SUBDIVIDED INTO THREE ARBITRARY SEGMENTS: PROXIMAL FROM THE VERTEBRAL ARTERY (VA) TO ANTERIOR INFERIOR CEREBELLAR ARTERIES (AICA), MIDDLE FROM AICA TO THE ORIGIN OF SUPERIOR CEREBELLAR ARTERIES (SCA), AND FINALLY, THE DISTAL SEGMENT FROM SCA TO THE TERMINAL POSTERIOR CEREBRAL ARTERIES (PCA). BASILAR ARTERY INFARCT OR OCCLUSION (BAO) IS CAUSED BY THE OBLITERATION OF BLOOD SUPPLY TO THE POSTERIOR CIRCULATION OR VERTEBROBASILAR SYSTEM OF ARTERIES TO THE BRAIN. THIS ACTIVITY DESCRIBES THE CLINICAL PRESENTATION, DIAGNOSIS, AND MANAGEMENT OF BASILAR ARTERY INFARCTION AND HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF THE HEALTHCARE TEAM IN IMMEDIATELY AND ACCURATELY RECOGNIZING, EVALUATING, AND TREATING PATIENTS WITH THIS CONDITION.