Intravascular ultrasound to assess extracranial vertebral artery restenosis: Case report

We present a case report of a patient who developed restenosis 5 months after initial stent placement. computed tomography (CT) angiography revealed a 70% stenosis, while conventional angiography revealed a 40% stenosis. An intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) was used to assess the degree of narrowing along with the mechanism causing the stenosis. IVUS can be utilized to resolve discrepancies between imaging modalities for degree of stenosis and also aid in determining the mechanism of restenosis after stent placement in the extracranial vertebral arteries.