Left internal carotid artery

Looks like

A large artery rising up each side of the neck from the carotid split near the jaw angle, entering the skull through its own bony canal.

What it does

Carries most of the blood to the front two-thirds of the brain and to the eye.

Keeping it well

Fatty narrowing at its start causes strokes. Sudden face droop, arm weakness, slurred speech or brief blindness in one eye: call an ambulance.

Its parts

• Left ophthalmic artery
• Left anterior cerebral artery
• Left anterior choroidal artery
• Cerebral arterial circle

Related conditions

• Brain aneurysm
• Carotid artery stenosis
• High blood pressure
• High cholesterol
• Hypothermia & frostbite
• Ischaemic stroke
• Kawasaki disease
• Metabolic syndrome
• Orthostatic hypotension & POTS
• Peripheral artery disease
• Phaeochromocytoma & hyperaldosteronism
• Pre-eclampsia
• Raynaud's phenomenon
• Retinal artery occlusion (eye stroke)
• Sepsis
• Shock (circulatory failure)
• Takayasu arteritis
• Transient ischaemic attack
• Vasculitis (GCA & others)