Anomalous Origins of the Bilateral Vertebral Arteries Arising from the Aortic Arch: A Case Report

Various anomalous origins of the vertebral arteries (VAs) have been reported. However, anomalous origins of the bilateral VAs arising directly from the aortic arch are extremely rare. We encountered a 60-year-old male who developed sudden-onset right hemiparesis with an incidentally discovered rare origins of the bilateral VAs from aortic arch. CT angiography demonstrated the right VA originating from the aortic arch distal to the left subclavian artery and left VA originating from the aortic arch between the left common carotid artery and the left subclavian artery. The possible embryological mechanism of this variant was also reviewed. If the VA can not be found in the usual position during the procedure, a rare variant of the VA with anomalous origin should be considered. Understanding these variations is important to avoid unexpected events during endovascular procedures or surgery.