Extracranial Carotid Stenosis: Examination

A comprehensive clinical examination is the basis for selecting further diagnostic steps:

  • General physical examination-including blood pressure, pulse, body weight, height; further:
    • Inspection (viewing).
      • Skin, mucous membranes and sclerae (white part of the eye).
      • Abdomen (abdomen)
        • Shape of the abdomen?
        • Skin color? Skin texture?
        • Efflorescences (skin changes)?
        • Pulsations? Bowel movements?
        • Visible vessels?
        • Scars? Hernias (fractures)?
      • Extremities (palpation (touch) of peripheral pulses).
    • Auscultation (listening) of the heart and central arteries/A. carotis (flow sounds?Note: Auscultation of the carotid artery is not suitable for reliable stenosis detection and should not be used for this purpose!
    • Auscultation of the lungs
    • Examination of the abdomen
      • Auscultation of the abdomen [vascular or stenotic sounds?
      • Palpation of abdomen (abdomen) (tenderness?, tapping pain?, coughing pain?, guarding?, hernial orifices?, renal bearing knock?)
  • Neurological examination – including testing of reflexes (especially the biceps tendon reflex (BSR), triceps tendon reflex (TSR), radius periosteal reflex (RPR), patellar tendon reflex (PSR) and the Achilles tendon reflex (ASR, also triceps surae reflex)), checking sensitivity and motor function.
  • [all patients with carotid stenosis should undergo clinical neurologic examination]
  • Health check