Will this plaque blocking the carotid artery cause hemiplegia?

Mr. Liu, male, 70 years old, was diagnosed in the Department of Neurology in early February 2017 due to right limb weakness accompanied by numbness of the mouth and tongue and speech disorders. Angiography showed severe stenosis of the left carotid artery, with a stenosis of up to 90%, and eccentric plaques with calcification. The Department of Neurology gave conservative treatment with drugs to clear the blood vessels, but the effect was not good, and severe limb hemiplegia occurred in early March. The patient was transferred to the Department of Neurosurgery of the Air Force General Hospital on March 15, 2017. Considering that the patient's left carotid artery stenosis was severe, the atherosclerotic plaques were hard, and the blood flow environment was poor, after discussion by the cerebrovascular disease treatment team, a treatment plan was determined for him - carotid endarterectomy. After the operation, the patient recovered well, and his limb function has been restored and his language expression is clear.

Carotid artery plaque removed by endarterectomy

Where do plaques in the carotid artery come from?

The formation of carotid plaques is caused by the continuous precipitation and accumulation of lipids in the carotid intima due to various factors, and the high accumulation of complex sugars, which causes the proliferation of fibrous tissue and calcium deposition, forming plaques. This is like the sewer pipes in the kitchen. The long-term precipitation of discharged oil and dirt will block the pipes. Carotid plaques are more likely to occur in people over 60 years old and have bad living habits such as smoking. In addition, patients with hypertension, diabetes and hyperlipidemia are also the main "favorites" of carotid plaques.

Carotid artery plaque formation

How terrible is the harm of carotid artery plaque?

Can carotid artery plaques lead to stroke, cerebral infarction, and hemiplegia? Yes, the most serious danger of carotid artery plaques lies in those unstable plaques, that is, plaques that are not firmly attached to the blood vessel wall and are easy to fall off.

Debonding plaques may lead to cerebral infarction

When the detached plaque enters the bloodstream, it forms an embolus. When the blood flows to the distal cerebral artery and blocks the cerebral artery, embolism occurs. The consequences will vary depending on the size of the blocked blood vessel and the length of time it is blocked. If a small blood vessel is blocked, the symptoms will be mild or asymptomatic. If a large blood vessel is blocked, it will cause sudden hemiplegia, aphasia, and hemiplegia. If the blockage time is short, there will be transient blurred vision, slurred speech, dizziness, sudden weakness and numbness of the limbs.