Medical Excellence - Issue 2

posterior circulation ( p = 0.044, event rate 7.8 vs. 3.5 per 100 person years), but not of ‘any stroke’ or ‘posterior circulation stroke’. Patients whose vertigo was provoked by a change in body position had a smaller risk for posterior circulation stroke or TIA (multivariate p = 0.037; univariate p = 0.017; event rates 1.9 [95% CI 0.0–3.8] vs. 5.4 per 100 person years [3.9–9.4]). Patients with any stenosis were less likely to suffer stroke (multivariate p = 0.032; univariate p = 0.013, event rate 2.6 vs. 7.5 per 100 person years). The diagnosis was not associated with the risk for future cerebrovascular events (tested in eight univariate Cox re- gression models, all p > 0.3). Table 3: Findings in cervical and cerebral arteries with focus on posterior circulation ( n = 339). Right Left Subclavian artery  Stenosis, n (%) 23 (6.8) 37 (10.9)  No stenosis, n (%) 198 (58.4) 184 (54.3)  Not examined, n (%) 118 (34.8) 118 (34.8) Vertebral artery V0-V4  Stenosis ≥50%, n (%) 76 (22.4) 71 (20.9)  Stenosis <50%, n (%) 26 (7.7) 15 (4.4)  No stenosis, n (%) 225 (66.4) 241 (71.1)  Not examined, n (%) 12 (3.5) 12 (3.5) Vertebral artery V0-V1  Stenosis ≥50%, n (%) 41 (12.1) 39 (11.5)  Stenosis <50%, n (%) 18 (5.3) 7 (2.1)  No stenosis, n (%) 265 (78.2) 281 (82.9)  Not examined, n (%) 15 (4.4) 12 (3.5) Vertebral artery V2  Stenosis ≥50%, n (%) 22 (6.5) 24 (7.1)  Stenosis <50%, n (%) 3 (0.9) 4 (1.2)  No stenosis, n (%) 302 (89.1) 299 (88.2)  Not examined, n (%) 12 (3.5) 12 (3.5) Vertebral artery V3-V4  Stenosis ≥50%, n (%) 42 (12.4) 37 (10.9)  Stenosis <50%, n (%) 9 (2.7) 7 (2.1)  No stenosis, n (%) 274 (80.8) 282 (83.2)  Not examined, n (%) 14 (4.1) 13 (3.8) Basilar artery  Stenosis ≥50%, n (%) 27 (8.0)  Stenosis <50%, n (%) 16 (4.7)  No stenosis, n (%) 283 (83.5)  Other findings   Basilar head aneurysm, n (%) 2 (0.6)   Megadolichobasilaris, n (%) 1 (0.3)  Not examined, n (%) 13 (3.8) Internal carotid  Stenosis ≥70% (NASCET), n (%) 32 (9.4) 28 (8.3)  Stenosis <70%, n (%) 30 (8.8) 50 (14.7)  No stenosis, n (%) 265 (78.2) 248 (73.2)  Other finding   Pseudoaneurysm, n (%) 0 (0.0) 1 (0.3)  Not examined, n (%) 12 (3.5) 13 (3.8) Intracranial artery a  Stenosis ≥50%, n (%) 4 (1.2)  No stenosis or <50%, n (%) 324 (95.6)  Other findings   Right PICA occlusion, n (%) 1 (0.3)   Untreated right MCA aneurysm, n (%) 1 (0.3)   Coiled AcomA aneurysm, n (%) 1 (0.3)  Not examined, n (%) 11 (3.2) Any vertebral or basilar artery  Stenosis ≥50%, n (%) 119 (35.1)  No stenosis or <50%, n (%) 209 (61.7)  Not examined, n (%) 11 (3.2) Bilateral vertebral or basilar artery  Stenosis ≥50%, n (%) 57 (16.8)  No stenosis or <50%, n (%) 271 (79.9)  Not examined, n (%) 11 (3.2) Any pathologic finding (any degree)b  Pathologic finding, n (%) 205 (60.5)  Normal, n (%) 123 (36.3)  Not examined, n (%) 11 (3.2) Any stenosis ≥ 50% b  Stenosis ≥50%, n (%) 191 (56.3)  No stenosis or <50%, n (%) 137 (40.4)  Not examined, n (%) 11 (3.2) a Other than basilar artery b Extra- or intracranial ...cont’d. cont’d... Table 4: Stroke endpoints during follow-up. Number of events Event rate per 100 person years (95% CI) Any Stroke 22 4.0 (2.3–5.6) Posterior circulation stroke 12 2.1 (0.9–3.3) Any stroke or TIA 41 7.9 (5.5–10.4) Posterior circulation stroke or TIA 26 4.8 (3.0–6.7) 16  |  Issue-2 MEDICAL EXCELLENCE

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