Are Kinking and Coiling of Carotid Artery Congenital or Acquired?

Dolichoarteriopathies consist of tortuosity, kinking, or coiling of the extracranial carotid arteries. Some authors consider these alterations a consequence of atherosclerotic vessel remodeling, while others ascribe them to anatomical variations of embryological origin. The objective was to establish whether carotid dolichoarteriopathies belonged to a congenital origin or to acquired conditions. Color Doppler ultrasonography of neck vessels was performed in 885 participants, whose age ranged from 1-day-old infants to 90-year-old adults. Prevalence of kinking and coiling was evaluated, and it was related to the presence of cardiovascular risk factors. Prevalence of either kinking or coil of carotid arteries showed no increase with age, as it was comparable across all ages; furthermore, frequency of these alterations showed no relationship to cardiovascular risk factors nor to the presence of atheromatous plaques. These findings suggest that carotid dolichoarteriopathies are a result of alterations in embryological development rather than vascular remodeling secondary to aging and/or atherosclerosis.