POSTMORTEM ANGIOGRAPHIC STUDY OF DEGENERATIVE VASCULAR CHANGES IN ARTERIES SUPPLYING THE CERVICOBRACHIAL REGION

Objectives-To study the prevalence of degenerative changes in the arte ries supplying the cervicobrachial region, and their relation to cervi cal disc degeneration. Methods-Fifty postmortem aortic arch angiograph ies were evaluated for occlusions and variations in the diameter of th e vertebral arteries and thyro- and costocervical trunks, as well as f or tortuosity, average diameter and the highest cervical level to whic h the ascending cervical artery, an upward continuation of the thyroce rvical trunk, and the deep cervical artery, an upward continuation of the costocervical trunk, ascended. Results-Localised segmental narrowi ngs, usually situated close to the ostia of the arteries, were common, whereas total occlusions were rare. Thirty (60%) of the subjects show ed a segmental narrowing at least in one of the six arteries analysed, while only two (4%) showed an occluded artery, which in both the case s was the thyrocervical trunk. Narrowings were most common in vertebra l arteries, followed by costocervical and thyrocervical trunks. Segmen tal narrowings, as well as general tortuosity of the arteries, increas ed with age. It was also found that ascending and deep cervical arteri es did not run as high up in the posterior neck muscles in older peopl e as in younger ones. Twenty three subjects with marked disc degenerat ion showed on 2.3 arteries with segmental narrowings, while the corres ponding figure for twenty seven subjects without disc degeneration was 0.6. segmental narrowings and degeneration, however, were strongly as sociated with age, and thus the causality between the former two remai ned unclear. Conclusion-The study showed that degenerative changes are common in the arteries supplying the cervicobrachial area, indicating that impaired blood flow might play a part in some cervicobrachial di sorders.