The Importance of Optical Coherence Tomography in Diagnosing Optic Nerve Damage in Vertebrobasilar Insufficiency

The diagnosis of vertebrobasilar arterial insufficiency is based on a characteristic symptom complex that encompasses several groups of clinical symptoms observed in patients with AS and hypertension. These include visual and oculomotor disturbances, impaired statics and motor coordination, and vestibular disturbances. A presumptive diagnosis is based on at least two of these symptoms. These symptoms are short-lived and often resolve spontaneously, although they are signs of impaired blood flow in the arteries of this system, requiring clinical and instrumental examination. A thorough medical history is especially necessary to clarify the circumstances of the onset of these symptoms. The aim of this study was to evaluate differences in mean retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness using optical coherence tomography (OCT) in patients with early-stage central vertigo, with or without vertebrobasilar stenosis, detected by Doppler ultrasonography.