Symptomatic Common Carotid Artery Stenosis Managed With Carotid Endarterectomy

Extracranial carotid artery disease is typical at the carotid bifurcation and internal carotid artery (ICA) and is rarely symptomatic from isolated common carotid artery (CCA) stenosis. We present the case of a 60-year-old female patient who presented with a transient ischemic attack (TIA) with significant stenosis of the ipsilateral CCA only, without any involvement of the ICA or bifurcation. This was treated with carotid endarterectomy (CEA) with desirable postoperative outcomes; at up to six months postoperative follow-up, this patient had no recurrence of symptoms. We draw attention to the current gap in the literature with regard to a lack of specific guidelines for optimal evidence-based surgical treatment for this specific condition, with recent advances within certain vascular societies.