Introduction: Advances in endovascular treatment techniques have increased our ability to treat intracranial pathology through endovascular means. Development of new devices, tailored to specific needs require a more detailed understanding of vascular anatomy and variations therein. Here, we present a sample of patients to determine lengths of vessels leading to and within the brain.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective review of our institution’s data for 100 patients who underwent CTA, including an aortic arch study. We reconstructed a 3D model of the vessels using Vitrea (Vital Images, Minnetonka, MN). The length of each segment measured using the centerline of the 3D projection. Vessels that were occluded, atretic, or otherwise not visible on CTA were excluded from analysis.

Results: The mean age was 70.7 years (range 50-100 years). There were 43 males and 57 females. The mean length of the segments and their standard deviations are represented in Table 1.

Conclusions: The variation of lengths of the vessels leading to, and within the brain tend to fall on a normal distribution curve. This should allow for development and selection of specific devices, based on individual anatomy, for improved treatment possibilities.

Patient Care: Planning successful procedural intervention is contingent on understanding the vessel anatomy and selecting appropriate equipment. Likewise, development of new equipment and techniques also requires an understanding of the normal anatomical variation. The current report provides the normal range of vessel lengths in the craniocervical vasculature.

Learning Objectives: Anatomical variations in lengths of cerebrovascular vessels

References: Available on request