The human body is a complex structure in which all components must work together in order to provide the functionality necessary for life. One of these structures is the vertebrobasilar basin. You can read about what it is, what its role is, what are the consequences of possible pathologies.
Part of the vascular system
The cardiovascular system is the main transport route, supplying all cells with oxygen and useful substances that are transported by the blood, as well as diverting waste products for metabolism, utilization and withdrawal. It consists of three main types of vessels - arteries, veins and capillaries, and in some organs, specialists combine them into some structures in order to characterize the pathology as accurately as possible if necessary. One of these structures is the vertebrobasilar basin of the brain.
Two complexes - one job
The brain is the head of all processes, on which not only all life support processes depend, but also human life itself. If the blood supply to this organ for some reason is difficult or impaired, then the whole body suffers, up to a fatal outcome. The system of blood supply to the brain, including the supply of blood to it, is complex, but specialists in it distinguish two conglomerates that have received characteristic names - the carotid pool and the vertebrobasilar pool. They are the two main systems involved in the delivery of blood to the brain.
The carotid basin is the union of two carotid arteries and adjacent small vessels. It begins in the chest area - the left branches off from the aorta, and the right originates from the brachiocephalic trunk. The work of this system is to provide both hemispheres of the brain, visual organs, and also the soft tissues of the head with oxygen-rich blood. The features that the vertebrobasilar pool has will be described below. Both that and another system are important for the proper functioning of the most important organ of the human body, impaired vascular patency leads to a lot of problems that can end very badly.
Specific address
The vessels of the vertebrobasilar basin are a special conglomerate that supplies blood to certain areas of the brain. Judging by the general location of this vascular group, we can talk about the neck and base of the skull, as well as the brain itself in the area of the basilar sulcus. It is here, in the structure of the spine and in the brain, that the arteries and smaller vessels that make up the vertebrobasilar pool are located.
The structure of the vascular conglomerate
Blood vessels - a kind of channel involved in the transfer of blood from the heart and lungs to each cell of the body. They are not only different in size, but also in purpose. Two arteries - vertebral and basilar - form the basis of this vascular complex, called by their name.
The vertebral artery is a rather complex formation - the right and left vertebral arteries originate from the subclavian artery. They both consist of the following parts:
- the first section passes through the transverse opening of the sixth cervical vertebra;
- the second section extends upward through the transverse foramen of the cervical vertebrae; it is braided by veins and sympathetic fibers;
- the third section passes into the so-called Atlantis furrow and enters the large occipital foramen;
- the fourth section penetrates through the dura mater, then, connecting with the opposite vertebral artery, forms a single whole.
An extensive structure such as the vertebrobasilar pool is involved in the supply of blood to the brain. The arteries combined in it must work together, fully conducting blood in the brain.
The second part of this vascular association is the basilar artery. It is also a large blood vessel, which is formed by the fusion of the left and right vertebral arteries. This artery is located along the basilar sulcus. In fact, the vertebrobasilar basin of the brain is a single structure, which is only conditionally divided into several components.
What is the function of the vascular complex?
The blood supply to the body is a difficult task, solved by the cardiovascular system, depending on the functionality of the endocrine, immune systems. The supply of oxygen and useful substances is the load that must be performed regularly, without serious failures that can lead to pathological changes in all body structures. The circulatory disturbance of the vertebrobasilar basin leads to many problems, because the vessels entering this conglomerate supply blood to the posterior regions of the brain, as well as the Varolian bridge - the structure responsible for the transfer of information from the spinal cord to the brain.
Any problems with blood supply to areas localized in the access area of this vascular system will certainly affect the state of health and the deterioration of human life.
Indicators are normal
Experts conducting studies in the work of the cardiovascular system determined that vertebrobasilar conglomerate provides almost 30% of the blood supply to the brain. Good vascular patency of this system provides the necessary amount of oxygenated blood delivered to the brain. Doctors distinguish two forms of pathological changes:
- transient cerebrovascular accident in the vertebrobasilar basin;
- acute cerebrovascular accident.
In any case, a violation of the blood supply is expressed in a change in the direction of decreasing the amount of blood entering the brain in a certain unit of time. An indicator of the norm for this vascular conglomerate is the absence of brain disorders, expressed in a worsening of well-being - dizziness, headaches, numbness of the limbs, visual impairment, and the like.
What could be the problem?
The defeat of the vertebrobasilar basin passes through several stages, and both general and various signs are characteristic of transient and acute disorders. PNMK is most often characterized by painful sensations that occur in the neck and nape, dizziness, in some cases accompanied by tinnitus. Unfortunately, such symptoms are not signs of problems with the blood supply to the brain through the vertebrobasilar pool, they are inherent in many other diseases of both the vascular, nervous and endocrine systems. Therefore, it should be remembered that adequate diagnosis is preceded by adequate diagnosis.
Acute forms are much more dangerous in their consequences, because the statistics are disappointing - the vast majority of those who have suffered a form of vascular insufficiency such as acute cerebrovascular accident in the vertebrobasilar pool remain disabled for the rest of their lives. Only 20% of these patients are capable of self-care in the future.
Blood flow disturbance can occur for two reasons:
- narrowing of the lumen of the bloodstream;
- blockage of the vessel.
Ischemic stroke in the vertebrobasilar pool leads to disability or death due to impaired oxygen delivery to brain tissue, the development of acute hypoxia and cell death. It is this localization of the problem that is the most frequent - almost 70% of stroke is recorded in this vascular conglomerate. Unfortunately, transient ischemic attacks affect not only older and older people, but also young people and even children.
Possible causes of circulatory disorders
For people of any age, disturbances in the blood circulation of the vertebrobasilar basin can develop at the very beginning with little noticeable symptoms, often not causing suspicion. The reasons why a vascular pathology such as stroke may develop may be:
- Genetic characteristics of the body.
- Intrauterine abnormalities of the developing vascular system, for example, underdevelopment of the vertebral arteries or Kimmerle anomaly, expressed in the presence around the first vertebra of an additional bone ring, which has a compressive effect on the vertebral arteries.
- Injuries to the cervical spine.
- Vasculitis.
- Atherosclerosis, in which cholesterol plaques block the blood flow of the vertebrobasilar pool.
- Diabetes.
- Hypertension in a chronic form.
- Antiphospholipid antibody syndrome (APS), in which active thrombosis occurs.
- Dissection, or stratification of the arteries, due to which the shells of the vessels rupture, the blood penetrates between them, clogging the channel,
- Intervertebral hernia of the cervical spine.
- Displacement of the vertebrae.
- Degenerative-dystrophic changes in the spinal column.
These pathological processes and disorders in the structure of the spinal column, vascular bed, neuromuscular system are not the only possible causes of the appearance of a violation in the vertebrobasilar basin and in the system of cerebral circulation. Each case requires careful diagnosis.
Diagnosis of pathologies
Stroke of the vertebrobasilar basin is a very serious violation of cerebral circulation, which, with the untimely provision of quality medical care, is most likely to end fatally. That is why changes in the state of health, which give the right to suspect stroke, require an immediate call of specialists.
To make a correct diagnosis and prevent a cerebral infarction, it is necessary to carry out the following diagnostic procedures:
- General and biochemical analysis of blood, which allows to determine potential violations in the properties of this basic biological fluid, manifested in atherosclerosis, diabetes mellitus, inflammation of various etiologies, and other pathologies.
- Ultrasound dopplerography (Doppler ultrasound), which helps to determine the patency of the lumen of the main vessels of the neck and head, as well as the volumetric and linear blood flow velocity and the qualitative state of the arterial walls.
- Transcranial dopplerography (TCD) is a modern method for the diagnosis of intracerebral blood flow using ultrasound.
- Angiography with computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging, which allows using the contrast medium to visualize the vessels of both the vertebrobasilar basin and the brain. This is done to identify various pathologies, vascular malformations, determine their diameter, changes against the background of atherosclerosis, stratification of the walls.
It is noteworthy that conventional magnetic resonance imaging or computed tomography are uninformative for the diagnosis of vascular pathologies of the vertebrobasilar basin. But these examination methods allow us to identify possible factors of the etiology of the problem - structural changes in the spine and spinal cord, the development of hernias, protrusion of the intervertebral discs.
Treatment methods
A stroke of the vertebrobasilar basin is a dangerous condition that requires immediate medical attention. But even milder blood flow disorders in this vascular formation should also be subjected to high-quality therapy, which works in three directions:
- normalization of blood circulation;
- elimination of the cause of the development of blood flow pathology;
- prevention of ischemic brain attacks.
Any degree of cerebrovascular accident requires an integrated approach to treatment, using medications, massage, physiotherapy, physiotherapy, and, if necessary, surgery.
When diagnosing a violation in the vertebrobasilar basin, specialists use the following groups of drugs in therapy:
- Antiplatelet agents - drugs that can prevent the formation of blood clots, acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin) is most often used.
- Antihypertensive drugs that normalize blood pressure.
- To reduce the amount of lipids in the blood. These are vitamins I3 and PP, niacin, sequestrants of bile acids, fibrates.
- Nootropic drugs (neurometabolic stimulants).
- Vasodilators.
Also in complex therapy, symptomatic drugs are used. It can be painkillers, sedatives, antiemetics, sleeping pills, as well as antidepressants. Only the attending physician decides which drugs to use in each individual case, taking into account many parameters - the patient’s medical history, course and stage of the disease, etiology of the problem, and individual characteristics of the body.
Is problem prevention possible?
ONMK in the vertebrobasilar basin is a dangerous condition that can lead to death in a short time. And like any other problem, circulatory failure is better to prevent or at least minimize damage than to treat both the condition itself and its most complex consequences. A periodically arising problem requires special attention, a person should be guarded by painful sensations in the neck, periodically appearing dizziness and visual impairment. Exactly in this case, physiotherapy exercises help - a set of exercises aimed at eliminating the stiffness of the cervical spine, normalizing the state of the blood vessels of the carotid and vertebrobasilar pools.
Undoubtedly, such exercises, even the simplest ones, should be recommended by a specialist. This is especially true for the amplitude of some head movements, because if you perform this or that exercise incorrectly, you can only worsen the condition, even harming your health. Also, as a preventive method, you should change the diet, saturating it with vitamins and minerals and removing excess sugar, fats, carbohydrates, salt. Quitting smoking will also help prevent the development of an ischemic stroke of the vertebrobasilar basin against a background of vasospasm.
Basic principles of vascular health
The vertebrobasilar pool is not the only vascular conglomerate in which certain disorders can occur that can lead to serious consequences. Any blood vessel fulfills its role in the body, and its blockage, narrowing of the lumen can cause pathology. That is why the prevention of vascular disorders should be one of the principles of maintaining their own health for each person. Unfortunately, many pathologies develop even in the womb, and it is often very difficult to compensate for them with the real efforts of doctors, the patient and his relatives. But acquired vascular problems are the fault of the person himself, who is scornful of his health and who does not listen to his body. The correct daily routine, change of activities, rational nutrition, regular medical examination, an attentive attitude to your health will help maintain the functionality of the cardiovascular system.
The vertebrobasilar pool is a vascular structure that feeds the brain with blood. It carries a huge load, providing oxygen and nutrients to many departments of the main organ. Violations in the bloodstream of this system can cause pathological processes in many systems of the human body, the deterioration of its vital functions and even death. To avoid this, you need to listen to the signals that the body gives about impending problems.