Vertebrobasilar Insufficiency (VBI)

Vertebrobasilar insufficiency (VBI) or vertebral-basilar ischemia, also called beauty parlour syndrome (BPS), is a temporary set of symptoms due to decreased blood flow in the posterior circulation of the brain. The posterior circulation supplies blood to the medulla, cerebellum, pons, midbrain, thalamus, and occipital cortex. Therefore, the symptoms due to VBI vary according to which portions of the brain experience significantly decreased blood flow. The incidence of VBI increases with age and typically occurs in the seventh or eighth decade of life. Reflecting atherosclerosis, which is the most common cause of VBI, it affects men twice as often as women and patients with hypertension, diabetes, smoking, and dyslipidemias have a higher risk of developing VBI.