Left vertebral artery

Looks like

An artery leaving the subclavian at the base of the neck and climbing through holes in the neck vertebrae into the skull.

What it does

The two join into the basilar artery and supply the brainstem, cerebellum, spinal cord top and back of the brain.

Keeping it well

Its wall can tear (dissection), even after neck strain. New neck pain with dizziness, double vision or unsteadiness is an emergency.

Its parts

• Left posterior inferior cerebellar artery

Related conditions

• High blood pressure
• High cholesterol
• Hypothermia & frostbite
• Kawasaki disease
• Metabolic syndrome
• Orthostatic hypotension & POTS
• Peripheral artery disease
• Phaeochromocytoma & hyperaldosteronism
• Pre-eclampsia
• Raynaud's phenomenon
• Sepsis
• Shock (circulatory failure)
• Vasculitis (GCA & others)