Constriction of the Sleep Artery

The most common cause of narrowing of the carotid artery is atherosclerotic plaque in the artery. Atherosclerosis develops very easily in this artery due to the hemodynamic characteristics of blood flow specific to this artery. Most patients have small or medium-sized plaques, but only a few develop a high degree of stenosis. These plaques can rupture and thus block smaller arteries in the head or eyes, leading to a transient ischemic attack, stroke, blindness. It is known that carotid artery stenosis is the cause of 10-15% of all ischemic strokes. Most patients with a narrowed carotid artery do not feel any symptoms and do not have any clinical signs. This condition is diagnosed by performing duplex ultrasound of the neck blood vessels, neck computed tomography, or magnetic resonance imaging.

Source | Author Doctor Nikas Samuolis, reviewed by Prof. Virginijus Šapoka | Vilnius University | Faculty of Medicine | Head of the Department of Internal Medicine, Family Medicine, and Oncology