Diagnosis and surgical treatment of carotid body tumor

Objective To analyze clinical features and surgical approaches of carotid body tumors. Methods Thirteen cases with carotid body tumor were retrospectively analyzed. The common clinical features,imaging characteristics and key points to surgical approaches were summarized. Results A neck mass posterior to the angle of the jaw was palpable in all 13 cases with carotid body tumors. The tumor rich in vessels, widening of the bifurcation of carotid artery and patency of the intcrmal carotid artery were well-demonstrated by examination of B-mode and Color Doppler Uitrasonography in 7,angiography in 4 and MRI angiography in 2. The tumors were completely removed in 12. The hypoglossal nerve was injured in 1. Biopsy was done in 1. Conclusion Carotid body tumors can be diagnosed by clinical features combined with pathognomonic images. The method of subadventitial tumor dissection is simple and may be the first choice of tumor resection. It may decrease the morbidity effectively such as vascular injury to determine the tumor size,location and relation to the adjacent structures by imaging characteristic preopreratively.