Objective        To determine the diagnostic value of digital subtraction angiography (DSA) for vertebral artery hypoplasia (VAH).       Methods        Retrospective analysis was carried out in 500 cases of ischemic stroke patients undergoing DSA examination in our department from  2011 to  2012. VAH was divided into 5 types according to the results of DSA. Based on manifestation according t

o the above classification

the 500 patients were divided into anterior circulation territory infarction group (n=362) and posterior circulation territory infarction group (n=138). The presence or absence of other concomitant risk factors were assessed for all patients. The percentages of VAH among patients with anterior/posterior circulation territory infarction and those with different VAH types

and the developing proportion of the posterior communicating artery (PCA) were analyzed.       Results       Among the 362 patients with anterior circulation territory infarction

there were 61 cases (16.85%) having VAH

while for the 138 patients with posterior circulation territory infarction

47 ones (34.06%) had VAH

with the later significantly larger than the former (

P

0.05). There was no significant difference between the groups in smoking

hypertension

diabetes and hyperlipidemia (

P

0.05). Among the 108 VAH patients out of 500

VAH was most common on the right side (61.11%) and then left side (27.78%)

and the bilateral VAH was rare (11.11%). VAH typeⅠwas predominant (41.67%)

type Ⅲ the second (22.22%)

and type Ⅳ and Ⅴaccounted for 15.74% and 11.11% respectively

while

type Ⅱ was only 9.26%. VAH patients were significantly more common with developing PCA than non-VAH patients (

P

0.05).       Conclusion        VAH may be one of risk factors for posterior circulation territory infarction. DSA can diagnose all the type of VAH and the opening situation of PCA clearly

and has important significance in the diagnosis of VAH.