Is Vertebral artery compression a cause of cervicogenic vertigo in cervical spondylosis patients? A color doppler ultrasound correlation study

Abstract

Introduction: Pathophysiology of vertigo in patients having neck pain is not well understood, and many theories have been postulated. Cervical spondylitis is one of the most common causes of neck pain, and these are the group of patients who often complain of vertigo. The role of vascular flow alteration in these patients in causing vertigo is under investigation. We intended to study the vascular flow pattern in the vertebral circulation using color Doppler ultrasound in these patients and compare it with controls. Material and Methods: Fifteen cases and 11 controls were evaluated using color Doppler ultrasound. All these patients were evaluated in detail by the Ear, Nose, Throat and the orthopedics department. The statistical analysis was done by IBP SPSS version 22 software. Independent t-test was performed to compare the case and control groups. Results: The mean intimal thickness of common carotid artery of cases was significantly less than the controls (0.35 mm vs. 0.51 mm for the right common carotid artery and 0.38 mm vs. 0.54 mm for the left common carotid artery, P