Carotid artery stenosis

Pieces of plaque can break off and block the small arteries above in the brain, which causes a stroke.

Prevention includes decreasing risk factors, as well as possibly aspirin, statins, surgery to open up the arteries to the brain in those with problematic narrowing, and warfarin in those with atrial fibrillation.

This ischemia can either be temporary, yielding a transient ischemic attack, or permanent resulting in a thromboembolic stroke.

Also, carotid stenosis secondary to atherosclerosis narrowing the diameter of the lumen and thus limiting blood flow is another common cause of TIA.

Less common symptoms are artery sounds (bruits), or ringing in the ears (tinnitus).

Stroke, carotid artery stenosis

The common carotid artery is the large artery whose pulse can be felt on both sides of the neck under the jaw.

Carotid stenosis may occur in patients with atherosclerosis.

Medical management plus carotid endarterectomy or carotid stenting, which is preferred in patients at high surgical risk and in younger patients.

Carotid endarterectomy (CEA) is a surgical procedure performed by vascular surgeons used to reduce the risk of stroke by correcting stenosis (narrowing) in the common carotid artery or internal carotid artery.

Ocular ischemic syndrome

Amaurosis fugax is a form of acute vision loss caused by reduced blood flow to the eye; it may be a warning sign of an impending stroke, as both stroke and retinal artery occlusion can be caused by thromboembolism due to atherosclerosis elsewhere in the body (such as coronary artery disease and especially carotid atherosclerosis).

Medical management plus carotid endarterectomy or carotid stenting, which is preferred in patients at high surgical risk and in younger patients.

Carotid artery stenting (CAS) is an endovascular procedure where a stent is deployed within the lumen of the carotid artery to treat narrowing of the carotid artery and decrease the risk of stroke.

Carotid artery stenosis is a narrowing or constriction of any part of the carotid arteries, usually caused by atherosclerosis.

Carotid artery stenosis is a narrowing or constriction of any part of the carotid arteries, usually caused by atherosclerosis.

On the right side it starts from the brachiocephalic artery (a branch of the aorta), and on the left side the artery comes directly off the aortic arch.

On the right side it starts from the brachiocephalic artery (a branch of the aorta), and on the left side the artery comes directly off the aortic arch.

On the right side it starts from the brachiocephalic artery (a branch of the aorta), and on the left side the artery comes directly off the aortic arch.

At the throat it forks into the internal carotid artery and the external carotid artery.

At the throat it forks into the internal carotid artery and the external carotid artery.

The internal carotid artery supplies the brain, and the external carotid artery supplies the face.

Emboli break off from the plaque and travel through the circulation to blood vessels in the brain.

This ischemia can either be temporary, yielding a transient ischemic attack, or permanent resulting in a thromboembolic stroke.

TIAs by definition last less than 24 hours and frequently take the form of a weakness or loss of sensation of a limb or the trunk on one side of the body, or the loss of sight (amaurosis fugax) in one eye.

Less common symptoms are artery sounds (bruits), or ringing in the ears (tinnitus).

Carotid artery stenosis is usually diagnosed by color flow duplex ultrasound scan of the carotid arteries in the neck.

This involves no radiation, no needles and no contrast agents that may cause allergic reactions.

This test has good sensitivity and specificity.

One of several different imaging modalities, such as a computed tomography angiogram (CTA) or magnetic resonance angiogram (MRA) may be useful.

One of several different imaging modalities, such as a computed tomography angiogram (CTA) or magnetic resonance angiogram (MRA) may be useful.

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends against routine screening for carotid artery stenosis in those without symptoms.