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carotid bruit
A systolic murmur heard in the neck, but not the aortic valve area, produced by turbulent blood flow through the internal carotid artery.
Etiology: carotid stenosis
Pathology: An asymptomatic carotid bruit is a weak predictor of an adverse cerebrovascular event. [2] Patients with an asymptomatic carotid bruit are also more likely to experience myocardial infarction & cardiovascular death (hazzard ratio ~ 2). Thus a carotid bruit is a likely marker for atherosclerosis in general.
Management:
The US Preventive Services Task Force has recommended against routine carotid auscultation because the management of asymptomatic carotid stenosis is uncertain.
Related
carotid artery stenosis
General
bruit
References
- Stedman's Medical Dictionary 26th ed, Williams &
Wilkins, Baltimore, 1995
- Pickett CA, Jackson JL, Hemann BA, Atwood JE.
Carotid bruits as a prognostic indicator of cardiovascular
death and myocardial infarction: a meta-analysis.
Lancet. 2008 May 10;371(9624):1587-94. Review.
PMID: 18468542
- Aboyans V, Lacroix P.
Carotid bruit: good for silent cardiovascular disease?
Lancet. 2008 May 10;371(9624):1554-6.
PMID: 18468527