Ischemic stroke constitutes a leading cause of morbidity and mortality, particularly in aging populations in which the prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors is rising [1,2]. Here, atherosclerotic stenosis of the internal carotid artery (ICA) is a major risk factor to ischemic stroke. Determining the need for carotid endarterectomy is crucial as the North American Symptomatic Carotid Endarterectomy Trial (NASCET) and the European Carotid Surgery Trial provide evidence for the significant redu…