Vasküler loop sendromunda anterior inferior serebellar arterin çapı ve vasküler loop tipinin klinik bulgular ile ilişkisi: klinik radyoloji çalışması

Abstract

Objective: Tinnitus and vertigo are common audiovestibular symptoms in the population. Many diseases can lead to the appearance of these symptoms, but the exact cause can often not be determined. It has been suggested that compression of the cranial nerves by vascular structures may be the cause of various clinical manifestations. This is known as microvascular compression syndrome. Some studies have stated that vascular compression syndromes are a serious pathology, while many studies have argued that vascular compression is only a radiological finding. We aimed to contribute to the literature on vascular compression syndrome and vascular loop types, which is still a controversial topic, and to determine the location of the diameter change in the anterior inferior cerebellar artery in the compression syndrome.
 Material and Method: Patients who underwent a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) examination of Temporal Bone due to a complaint of tinnitus or vertigo were retrospectively examined. The complaints of the patients, the diameters of the anterior inferior cerebellar artery (AICA) and the types of vascular loop were evaluated in the high resolution 3D fast imaging employing steady-state acquisition (FIESTA) sequence, according to the CHAVDA classification. The statistical relationship between the age of the patients, anterior inferior cerebellar artery diameters and vascular loop types and their clinical manifestations was investigated.
 Results: A total of 52 patients were enrolled in the study, of which 28 (53.8%) were male and 24 (46.2%) were female. The mean age of all patients was 47.58±18.734 years. The mean right AICA diameters of the patients were 1.10±0.206 mm, the mean left AICA diameter was 1.11±0.253 mm. Type 1 in 29 patients, type 2 in 12 patients, type 3 vascular loop in 4 patients were observed for the right side, while type 1 in 29 patient, type 2 in 12 patients, and type 3 in 7 patients were observed for the left side. There was no significant difference between vascular loop and tinnitus on the right and left (p=0.705; p=0.335, respectively). There was no significant difference between the right vascular loop and the left vascular loop and the vertigo (p>0.999; p=0.425, respectively). There was no significant difference between the right tinnitus, left tinnitus and vertigo in terms of the diameters of the right and left AICA in the patients (p=0.782; p=0.762; p=0.408; p=0.915, respectively).
 Conclusion: Vascular compression syndromes are clinical conditions that show symptoms over cranial nerves. Although the vascular loop syndromes originating from AICA have been discussed a lot recently, it is seen that there is no definite opinion. In our study, no association of AICA diameter and vascular loop type with clinical findings was found.