Published in:
01-10-2015 | Stroke (D Wang, Section Editor)
Can a Closed Carotid Artery Be Reopened?
Authors:
Ahmad Issawi, Jeffrey Klopfenstein
Published in:
Current Cardiology Reports
|
Issue 10/2015
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Abstract
Carotid occlusion is a disease that presents a difficult decision for the treating provider. Traditionally, many providers would opt for expectant management with risk factor reduction and supportive therapy. There is a growing body of literature however pointing to possible improved outcomes of more aggressive treatments, including reopening of the occluded carotid. In this review, we discuss the difficulties involved in diagnosing a patient presenting with symptomatic carotid occlusion, the natural history of the disease, and the emerging treatment options and paradigms of different institutions based on recent literature.