Systolic murmur detectable in the neck but not in the aortic area.
A carotid bruit refers to an abnormal sound detected in a carotid artery, one of the major arteries that supplies the neck and head. This noise arises from turbulent blood flow within the artery. By placing a stethoscope on the side of a person’s neck, a doctor can perceive this sound. The presence of a carotid bruit suggests the narrowing, known as stenosis, of the artery, usually attributed to the accumulation of fatty deposits on the lining of the blood vessel.