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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Othman Mohamed-Asem Abdul-Malak, MD
Vascular Surgery
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Cameron Mohammad Akbari, MD
Vascular Surgery & General Surgery
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Sonya Alekseyev, MSN NP
Vascular Surgery
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Federico M Asch, MD
Cardiology, Cardiovascular Disease & Cardiac Imaging
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Brian Daniel Baturin, MD
Cardiovascular Disease, Cardiology, Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiology & Cardiac Imaging
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Martha Julia R. Beene, AGACNP-BC MSN
Surgical Critical Care, Vascular Surgery & Critical Care Medicine
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Danielle Bielecki, NP
Cardiac Surgery, Vascular Surgery & Nurse Practitioner Cardiac Surgery
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Joshua A Dearing, MD
Vascular Surgery
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Joanne Macaranas Johnson, AGACNP-BC MSN
Cardiac Surgery & Vascular Surgery
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Preetham N. Kumar, MBBS MD
Cardiac Imaging, Cardiology & Cardiovascular Disease
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Marissa Mallari Magtanong, AGNP MSN
Vascular Surgery
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Krystal C. Maloni, MD
General Surgery & Vascular Surgery
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Michael Alan Matyas, MD
Nuclear Radiology, Cardiac Imaging & Diagnostic Radiology
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Jacqueline Elizabeth Meier, AGACNP-BC MSN
Geriatric Medicine, Vascular Surgery & Internal Medicine
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Jeffrey Bruce Trabb, MD
Interventional Cardiology, Cardiology, Cardiovascular Disease & Cardiac Imaging
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Jared Michael Widell, MD
Cardiac Imaging, Cardiology & Cardiovascular Disease
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Insurance
MedStar Health accepts most major health insurance plans. If you are uncertain as to whether your individual health insurance plan is accepted at MedStar Health, please call your insurance company.