Prevalence and Patterns of Circle of Willis Variants in Civil Service Hospital: A Retrospective Cross-Sectional Study Using 3 Tesla Magnetic Resonance Angiography

Thapa, Subash; Desar, Rabindra; Basnet, Jorina; Thapa, Sushmita

Publication:
Prevalence and Patterns of Circle of Willis Variants in Civil Service Hospital: A Retrospective Cross-Sectional Study Using 3 Tesla Magnetic Resonance Angiography

creativeworkseries.issn	JNMA Print ISSN: 0028-2715; Online ISSN: 1815-672X
dc.contributor.author	Thapa, Subash
dc.contributor.author	Desar, Rabindra
dc.contributor.author	Basnet, Jorina
dc.contributor.author	Thapa, Sushmita
dc.date.accessioned	2025-07-25T07:16:30Z
dc.date.available	2025-07-25T07:16:30Z
dc.date.issued	2025
dc.description	Subash Thapa Department of Radiodiagnosis, Nepal Police Hospital, Mahrajgunj, Kathmandu, Nepal, Rabindra Desar Department of Radiodiagnosis, Civil Service Hospital, Minbhawan, Kathmandu, Nepal Jorina Basnet Department of Internal Medicine, KIST Medical College & Teaching Hospital, Lalitpur, Nepal Sushmita Thapa Department of Accident and Emergency, Birendra Hospital, Chhauni, Kathmandu, Nepal
dc.description.abstract	Abstract Introduction: The Circle of Willis (CoW) is a crucial cerebral arterial network, and its anatomical variations may influence cerebrovascular health. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and patterns of CoW variants using 3 Tesla magnetic resonance angiography. Methods: This retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted at the Department of Radiology, of a tertiary care center, Nepal, from October 2022 to September 2024 following ethical approval (IRC- 16/2024). Inclusion required adequate 3T MRI imaging using a TOF MRA protocol. (TR 20 ms, TE 3.5 ms, flip angle 15°, slice thickness 0.5 mm). Patients with cerebrovascular disease, prior interventions, or contraindications were excluded. Circle of Willis morphology was analyzed for prevalence, variants, and age/gender correlations using SPSS and Excel. Results: The study included 384 participants of which 206 (53.65%) were male. The mean age was 59.20±16.30 years. A complete Circle of Willis (COW) was observed in 139 (36.19%), while 220 (57.39%) were incomplete. Anterior anomalies 126 (32.81%) primarily consisted of hypoplasia 95 (75.40%), right A1 dominance) and absence 24 (19.05%). Posterior variants 345 (89.84%) frequently involved hypoplasia 155 (44.93%) or absence 189 (54.78%) of the posterior communicating artery, with fetal PCA origin in 121 (31.51%). Conclusions: This study found common Circle of Willis variations, especially in older adults. Hypoplasia of the posterior communicating artery was the most frequent variation, with differences observed by gender.
dc.identifier	https://doi.org/10.31729/jnma.9057
dc.identifier.uri	https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14572/680
dc.language.iso	en_US
dc.publisher	Nepal Medical Association
dc.title	Prevalence and Patterns of Circle of Willis Variants in Civil Service Hospital: A Retrospective Cross-Sectional Study Using 3 Tesla Magnetic Resonance Angiography
dc.type	Article
dspace.entity.type	Publication
local.article.type	Original Article
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