ABSTRACT

Stroke is the third largest cause of death and is the leading cause of permanent disability and disabilityadjusted loss of independent life years in Western countries (1-3). Approximately 700,000 people in the United States experience a stroke annually (3). This number is expected to grow because of aging and changes in the ethnic distribution of the population (4). An estimated one-fourth of strokes are attributable to ischemic events related to occlusive disease of the cervical internal carotid artery (ICA) (5).