Type Ⅲ aortic arch can increase the difficulty of interventional surgery in patients with cerebrovascular diseases. This study was performed to explore the factors associated with type Ⅲ aortic arch.

This observational, multicenter, case-control study was performed in Shaanxi Province, China and involved 841 patients who underwent cerebral angiography at 3 stroke centers from April 2019 to August 2020. The data for women and men were analyzed separately. We analyzed the differences between type I or Ⅱ aortic arch and type Ⅲ aortic arch and sought to identify factors related to type Ⅲ aortic arch.

Among men, compared with patients with type I or Ⅱ aortic arch, patients with type Ⅲ aortic arch were older (odds ratio, 1.03; 95 % confidence interval, 1.01–1.05; P = 0.007) and had a lower body mass index (odds ratio, 0.83; 95 % confidence interval, 0.76–0.89; P < 0.001). Among women, compared with patients with type I or Ⅱ aortic arch, patients with type Ⅲ aortic arch were older (65.0 versus 62.0 years; P = 0.001).

Our findings suggested that advanced age and a lower body mass index were independent predictors of type Ⅲ aortic arch in male patients undergoing cerebral angiography. In female patients, only advanced age was an independent predictor of type Ⅲ aortic arch.