Carotid stenosis is a vascular disease in which the lumen of the large arterial vessels in the neck (common and internal carotid arteries) is narrowed or even occluded due to plaque build-up in the blood, preventing blood flow through and depriving the brain of its normal blood supply, resulting in a stroke or transient ischaemic attack. Carotid artery stenosis has no typical symptoms in its early stages. Symptoms such as dizziness, temporary blindness and sudden numbness may occur suddenly but disappear quickly, so it is usually not taken seriously and often progresses to a stroke, which has an acute onset and requires resuscitation in the emergency department, with serious life-threatening consequences.