Carotid Artery Disease

Diagnosis

Mayo Clinic specialists use several tests to discover narrowing in the carotid arteries.

Doppler Ultrasound
Sound waves reflected from the structures in the neck can show a narrowed artery. This test is noninvasive, involves no radiation and is an excellent procedure for screening.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and Magnetic Resonance Angiography (MRA)
These techniques use magnetic and radio waves to generate images of the arteries and the brain. The tests can detect even small strokes in the brain. MRA techniques developed at Mayo Clinic allow surgeons to obtain detailed images of the carotid arteries.

An advantage of MRA is its noninvasiveness and and lack of risks. This technique eliminates the need for cerebral angiogram in most cases.

Computed Tomography (CT) Angiogram
CT angiography is another imaging option at Mayo. The CT scanner is used to visualize blood flow in the carotid arteries.

Cerebral Angiogram
A catheter is inserted into a leg artery in the groin and threaded through the aorta (the body's main artery) to the carotid and/or vertebral arteries.

Once the catheter is in place, X-rays are taken while dye is injected into the affected arteries. The dye is detected on the X-rays, outlining the blood vessels in detail. Cerebral angiogram is an invasive procedure that has a small risk of stroke.