Hi, @kmacky

My understanding is retro pharyngeal course of the carotid arteries is not necessarily a diagnosis, rather a description of the path some people’s carotid arteries take behind the throat. It can be important with surgeries or evaluations involving the neck.

I found information you may already be aware of. This article that explains one reason why it’s important to be aware of, that these arteries can actually move over time and cause complications. Also, it may be a contributing factor in sleep apnea because of the anatomy:

-The Moving Carotid Artery: A Retrospective Review of the Retropharyngeal Carotid Artery and the Incidence of Positional Changes on Serial Studies: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7959956/

If you are comfortable, it may help others know how to comment if you explain more as to why you are asking. Are you asking because you have been told your carotids are positioned this way? If so, what impact are they having?