The artery that usually supplies the brainstem was very small or missing, but another nearby artery was unusually large — suggesting the patient was born with this unusual anatomy.
Evidence from Studies
No evidence studies found yet.
What Would Prove This
Per GRADE and EBM methodology, here is what ideal scientific evidence would look like to definitively prove or disprove this claim, ordered from strongest to weakest.
The prevalence of PICA hypoplasia in patients with lateral medullary infarction and its association with infarct location.
A systematic review and meta-analysis of 200+ patients with lateral medullary infarction who underwent MRA, extracting PICA and AICA morphology and correlating with infarct size and location.
The frequency of PICA hypoplasia in patients with isolated lateral medullary infarction without dissection.
A prospective cohort of 150 patients with lateral medullary infarction and no dissection, undergoing high-resolution MRA to classify PICA and AICA anatomy, with primary outcome: proportion with PICA hypoplasia.
Whether PICA hypoplasia is more common in patients with Wallenberg syndrome than in age-matched controls without stroke.
A case-control study comparing 50 patients with Wallenberg syndrome to 100 age-matched controls without stroke, using MRA to assess PICA and AICA morphology.
That PICA hypoplasia with AICA compensation can be present in a patient with lateral medullary infarction.
A case report documenting non-visualization of PICA and well-developed AICA on MRA in a patient with lateral medullary infarction.