A bulge in the wall of an artery in your neck
The carotid arteries are the two main blood vessels on either side of the neck that supply blood to the brain. An extracranial carotid artery aneurysm stretches out the walls of a portion of the artery in the neck like a balloon, causing the walls to become very thin. This differs from an intracranial carotid artery aneurysm, in which the bulge appears in the portion of the artery located inside the brain.
These aneurysms can create blood clots that can break loose and cause a transient ischemic attack (TIA) or stroke. They can also tear, causing life-threatening bleeding.
What are the symptoms of an extracranial carotid artery aneurysm?
A large aneurysm can create pressure on surrounding areas in the neck and can cause symptoms such as:
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Difficulty swallowing
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Hoarseness
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Stroke-like symptoms
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Swelling in the face
Treatments
If the aneurysm is small or not causing symptoms, your doctor may recommend close monitoring to watch for changes. If it’s larger or has clot in it, they may recommend medication or surgery. Lowering blood pressure or cholesterol may be advised to help maintain the health of your arteries. If your aneurysm is very large or at risk of rupturing, your doctor may recommend other advanced treatments.
Carotid artery disease treatments
Carotid artery disease may be slowed or treated through lifestyle changes, medication, endarterectomy, or angioplasty and stenting.
Our providers
Location: Change location Enter your location
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Federico M Asch, MD
Cardiac Imaging
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Brian Daniel Baturin, MD
Cardiac Imaging
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Patrick Thomas Bering, MD
Cardiac Imaging & Cardiology
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Yelena Game, PA-C
Vascular Surgery
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John Harvey, MD
Vascular Surgery
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Geetha Jeyabalan, MD
Vascular Surgery
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Preetham N. Kumar, MD
Cardiac Imaging & Cardiology
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Michael Alan Matyas, MD
Cardiac Imaging, Ultrasound, Nuclear Medicine & Diagnostic Radiology
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Brittany C. Montgomery, AGACNP-BC
Vascular Surgery
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Kyle B. Reynolds, MD
Vascular Surgery
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Jeffrey Bruce Trabb, MD
Nuclear Cardiology, Cardiac Imaging & Cardiology
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Gaby Weissman, MD
Valvular Disease Cardiology, Structural Heart Disease Cardiology & Cardiac Imaging
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Jared Michael Widell, MD
Cardiac Imaging & Cardiology
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Lisa Anne Yager, AGNP-C
Vascular Surgery
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Sarkis Garabet Aghazarian, MD
Vascular Surgery
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Dustin Yung Yoon, MD
Vascular Surgery
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Ask MedStar Heart & Vascular Institute
Have general questions for our heart and vascular program? Email us at AskMHVI@medstar.net. If you have clinically-specific questions, please contact your physician’s office.