What Are Carotid Disorders?
Carotid arteries are blood vessels located on each side of the neck toward the front. These vessels are what you touch when feeling the pulse in your neck/under your jaw. The purpose of these is to transport blood from the heart to the brain. Narrowing (stenosis) of these vessels decreases the amount of blood that can get to the brain. This can be caused by cholesterol that builds up on the walls of the arteries (atherosclerosis) or from blood clots that form. Symptoms do not occur until enough narrowing has formed affecting how well the brain can function, so this can go undetected for quite some time. Symptoms mirror a Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA) or stroke. A TIA is a stroke that only lasts a short period of time before resolving itself. Stroke symptoms include loss of balance, headache, blurred vision, drooping of one side of the face, arm/leg weakness, and difficulty speaking.
Carotid disorders are diagnosed by evaluating symptoms as well as using CT Angiogram (CTA), MR Angiogram (MRA) and/or Cerebral Angiography. These tests all show details of the blocked arteries to help determine treatment.
How Are Carotid Disorders Treated?
If the blockage isn’t too severe, medications can be used to treat the problem. Medications called Statins can be used to lower a patient’s cholesterol if atherosclerosis is the cause. If a blood clot is the cause of narrowing, blood thinners can be used to increase blood flow to the brain. If the blockage is severe, surgery may be necessary. Surgery options include using a stent to increase blood flow or carotid endarterectomy in which the surgeon takes out the plaque buildup on the artery walls. Another option is to have an angioplasty completed. During this procedure, a balloon is placed within the carotid artery and inflated to widen the passage, improving blood flow. A stent is often used along with this procedure to keep the artery open.