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Introduction to Carotid Atherosclerosis

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Carotid Artery Disease

Abstract

We present a brief overview of carotid atherosclerosis, including a historical perspective, epidemiology, clinical presentation, and imaging modalities. The first known description of the carotid artery dates back to Hippocrates (400–200 BC), but this knowledge has grown extensively. Large artery atherosclerosis accounts for about 20% of ischemic stroke. Carotid disease causes ischemia from both hypoperfusion and atheroemobolic events and presents with varying symptoms. Most commonly seen with ipsilateral monocular vision loss (amaurosis fugax), contralateral hemisensory loss or contralateral hemiparesis. There are multiple imaging modalities available to evaluate the stability and hemodynamic characteristics of carotid atherosclerotic plaque.

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Correspondence to Adam de Havenon .

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Meyer, C., Ruff, J., de Havenon, A. (2020). Introduction to Carotid Atherosclerosis. In: Park, M., Kalani, M., de Havenon, A., McNally, J. (eds) Carotid Artery Disease. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-41138-1_4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-41138-1_4

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