The state of blood flow of the main arteries of the head in children with neurocirculatory dysfunction and connective tissue dysplasia

BACKGROUND: The article studies the relationship between connective tissue dysplasia and neurocirculatory dysfunction. They are united by a systematic and multi-organ nature of complaints and violations. The frequency of occurrence of neurocirculatory dysfunction in connective tissue dysplasia depends on the severity of phenotypic signs and is 23.5–31.1%.

AIM: The aim of this study is to evaluate the significance of the method of duplex scanning of the main cerebral vessels, as well as to evaluate the relationship of the obtained parameters with the data of neurosonography, radiography of the cervical spine in children with signs of neurocirculatory dysfunction and connective tissue dysplasia.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: The duplex scanning method was used to study the main vessels of the neck that provide blood supply to the brain: common and internal carotid, vertebral arteries in 240 children hospitalized for somatic various diseases.

RESULTS: The presence of diagnostically significant changes in the cervical spine was found in 111 of them (46.3%): hypoplasia of the CI or СII vertebrae with cranial subluxations, instability of the cervical spine, and juvenile osteochondrosis. In children diagnosed with neurocirculatory dysfunction without signs of connective tissue dysplasia, disturbances in the form of asymmetry of blood flow along the entire vertebral artery prevail in comparison with the comparison group. In patients with more pronounced signs of connective tissue dysplasia, structural features of the cervical spine (hypoplasia of the CI or СII vertebrae with cranial subluxations, instability, juvenile osteochondrosis) and impaired blood flow of the main arteries are significantly more common.

CONCLUSIONS: According to the data of duplex scanning of the main arteries of the neck, disorders in the form of hemodynamically significant asymmetry of blood flow in the vertebral arteries at different levels are significantly more common. In patients with pronounced signs of connective tissue dysplasia, structural features of the cervical spine and impaired blood flow of the main arteries of the neck are significantly more common. The presence of connective tissue dysplasia may be one of the causes of the above disorders.