Carotid Artery
Definition of a carotid artery:
The carotid artery is the arteries in the neck that supply blood to the brain.
Causes, incidence, and risk factors of the carotid artery:
Stroke secondary to carotid stenosis occurs when a major portion of the carotid artery or both carotid arteries (the arteries in the neck that supply blood to the brain) are narrowed or blocked.
Atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) is a condition where fatty deposits occur in the inner lining of the arteries, and atherosclerotic plaque (a mass consisting of fatty deposits and blood platelets) develops. The plaque may obstruct the carotid artery or a clot (thrombus) may occur at the site of the plaque and also cause obstruction. Blockage of the carotid artery usually develops slowly. Sometimes, however, a piece of atherosclerotic plaque (an embolism) may break off and travel to an artery in the brain causing obstruction far from the initial site where the plaque developed.
Atherosclerotic plaque does not always lead to stroke. There are many small blood vessels around the carotid arteries. If blood flow gradually decreases, these small connections will increase in size and "by-pass" the obstructed area (collateral circulation). If there is enough collateral circulation, even a totally blocked carotid artery may not cause neuralgic deficits. A second safety mechanism is that the arteries are large enough that 70 % of the blood vessel can be occluded, and there will still be adequate blood flow to the brain.
Carotid Artery
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