I65: Occlusion and stenosis of precerebral arteries, not resulting in cerebral infarction

I65.2: Occlusion and stenosis of carotid artery

In the front of the neck there are 2 large carotid arteries, one on each side. One artery runs through an opening in the skull and supplies blood to the brain. The other artery supplies blood to the face. One of your carotid arteries has narrowed or got blocked.

There are various reasons why arteries narrow or get blocked like this. For example, fats and calcium may be deposited in the blood vessel wall. The blood vessel narrows as a result. Then sometimes not enough blood can flow through any longer. Or the artery can be blocked by a blood clot. The blood clot can form in the heart or somewhere else in the body. The blood clot can then be swept towards the brain along with the blood.

Various risk factors can favor the blocking of an artery. These include, for example, smoking, obesity, and high blood pressure.

When an artery gets blocked or narrows, it can cause various problems. However, there may be no symptoms at all.