The internal carotid artery branches from the common carotid artery at the level of the 4th cervical vertebrae, the level of the superior border of the thyroid cartilage, and initially runs posterolateral to the external carotid artery, then turns to its posteromedial aspect and ascends to the posterior wall of the pharynx at the front of the transverse process of the cervical vertebrae to the base of the skull. It enters the cranium through the carotid artery canal, crosses the cavernous sinus, and above the anterior bed process, divides the anterior cerebral artery and the middle cerebral artery.
The common carotid artery stenosis is atherosclerosis, Takayasu's arteritis and fibromuscular malfunction, etc., others such as trauma, arterial torsion, congenital arterial atresia, tumors, arterial or periarteritis, fibrosis after radiotherapy, etc. are rare, in some European countries and the United States, about 90% of carotid artery stenosis is caused by atherosclerosis, and Takayasu's artery is also relatively common in young and middle-aged patients in China.
The most common site of carotid artery stenosis is the carotid bifurcation site, where the common carotid artery divides into internal and external carotid arteries.
Symptoms of internal carotid artery stenosis include weakness or mild paralysis on one side of the bodyNumbness or loss of sensation on one side of the body;If present in one hemisphere, aphasia may occur;Amaurosis fugax (transient partial or complete blindness, usually only on one side of the eye). It's like a dark shadow over the eyes. Because the ophthalmic artery exits from the internal carotid artery, the embolic process that produces transient loss of vision may be caused by injury to the ipsilateral carotid artery. Ipsilateral hemianopia (loss of the lateral half of the visual field on the opposite side of the injury). Other symptoms include dizziness, lightheadedness or unresponsiveness, memory loss, and even cognitive dysfunction.
Carotid artery stenosis can be divided into: mild stenosis less than 50%, moderate stenosis 50% to 69%, and severe stenosis 70% to 99%. List of high-quality authors