Clinical presentation of vertebrobasilar stroke

Vertebrobasilar (VB) stroke is responsible for 20% of all strokes and transient ischemic attacks. Due to the vast cerebral territory it supplies, VB ischemia can present with a wide range of symptoms and signs, sometimes even overlapping with carotid circulation stroke. Furthermore, brain computed tomography, usually performed as initial imaging modality, has a suboptimal visualization of the posterior fossa, making VB stroke an even more challenging diagnosis to any physician. Hence, awareness of the vertebrobasilar anatomy and the clinical presentation of VB ischemia is crucial to promote early recognition of this disorder.