Vertebral artery triplication.

PURPOSE

To report an extremely rare vertebral artery (VA) origin configuration.

METHODS

Angiographic and MRI features of a VA triplication in a child are presented.

RESULTS

The VA trifurcation was the result of the simultaneous persistence of the 4th, 5th and 6th primitive cervical intersegmental arteries, respectively, reaching the transverse canal at C4, C5 and C6. A contralateral VA duplication was noted as well.

CONCLUSION

A previously undocumented instance of VA triplication is presented. Knowledge of such variations is important for the planning of diagnostic and therapeutic cervicocranial angiography and the understanding of unusual images on noninvasive imaging studies. This type of anomaly also represents a risk factor for arterial dissection.