Atherosclerotic carotid artery disease

Atherosclerotic plaques begin to form in the carotid artery at 20 yrs of age. In the extracranial cerebral circulation, plaques typically start on the back wall of the common carotid artery (CCA). As they enlarge, they encroach on the lumen of the ICA. Calcified hard plaques may not change with time. The risk of stroke correlates with the degree of stenosis and with certain types of plaque morphology, and is also increased in hypercoagulable states and with increased blood viscosity.