Although the first successful resection of a carotid body tumor was reported over 100 years ago this operation remains technically challenging with many potential pitfalls. The case of a man with a large (8 cm) carotid body tumor will be presented in order to identify key issues that pertain to effective diagnostic and therapeutic modalities. A multidisciplinary team (vascular surgeon, neurosurgeon, neuroradiologist, interventional radiologist and oromaxillofacial surgeon) provided specific expertise on each aspect of the patient's evaluation and treatment. Adjuvant techniques employed in this case included angiographic tumor embolization, jaw subluxation, strap muscle division, nasotrachial intubation, carotid resection and saphenous vein interposition grafting.
JamesA. G.SaleebyR., The management of carotid body tumors. Surgery, 1953, 34, 104–110.
2.
StaatsE. F. N.BrownR. L.SmithR. R., Carotid body tumors, benign and malignant. Laryngoscope, 1996, 76, 907–916.
3.
MonroR. S., The natural history of carotid body tumours and their diagnosis and treatment with a report of five cases. British Journal of Surgery, 1950, 37, 445–453.
4.
MuhnM.PolterauerP.GstottnerW., Diagnostic and therapeutic approaches to carotid body tumors. Archives of Surgery, 1997, 132, 279–284.
5.
NettervilleJ. L.ReillyK. M.RobertsonD., Carotid body tumors: A review of 30 patients with 46 tumors. Laryngoscope, 1995, 105, 115–126.
6.
ShamblinW. R.RemineW. H.ShepsS. G., Carotid body tumor (chemodactoma). Clinicopathologic analysis of ninety cases. American Journal of Surgery, 1971, 122, 732–739.
7.
Gordon-TaylorG., On carotid body tumours. British Journal of Surgery, 1940, 28, 163–172.
8.
GlennerG. G.GrimleyP. M., Tumors of the extraganglionic paraganglionic system (including chemoreceptors). In Atlas of Tumor Pathology, second series, fascicle 9. Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, Washington, DC, 1974, pp. 13–33.
9.
WilliamsM. D.PhillipsM. J.NelsonW. R.RainerW. G., Carotid body tumor. Archives of Surgery, 1992, 127, 963–968.
10.
MacGillivaryD. C.PerryM. O.SelfeR. W.NydickI., Carotid body tumors: Atypical angiogram of a functional tumor. Journal of Vascular Surgery, 1987, 5, 462–468.
11.
DelkerA.DienerH. C.MullerR. D.HaaseR., Carotid body tumor: Appearance on color-flow doppler sonography. Vasa, 1991, 20, 280–282.
12.
WorseyM. J.LabordeA. L.BowerY., An evaluation of color duplex scanning in the primary diagnosis and management of carotid body tumors. Annals of Vascular Surgery, 1992, 6(1), 90–94.
13.
CredG.PrastessiC.MatticariS., In terma di diagnostica dei tumori del glomo carotideo: Rilievi comparativi tra metodiche non invasive ed esame arteriographico. Arch Chir Torac Cardiovasc, 1986, 8, 107–112.
14.
OlsenW. L.DillonW. P.KelleyW. M., MR imaging of paragangliomas. American Journal of Radiology, 1987, 148, 201–204.
15.
KwekkeboomD. J.UrkH. V.PauwB. K. H., Octreotide scintigraphy for the detection of paraganglioms. Journal of Nuclear Medicine, 1993, 34, 873–878.
16.
BernardR. P., Carotid body tumors. American Journal of Surgery, 1992, 163, 494–496.
17.
BishopG. B.UristM. M.GammalT. E., Paragangliomas of the neck. Archives of Surgery, 1992, 127, 1441–1445.
18.
DickinsonP. H.GriffinS. M.GuyA. J.McNeillI. F., Carotid body tumor: 30 years experience. British Journal of Surgery, 1986, 73, 14–16.
SchickP. M.HieshimaG. B.WhiteR. A., Arterial catheter embolization followed by surgery for large chemodactoma. Surgery, 1980, 87, 459–464.
21.
RobinsonG.ShagetsF. W.BeckettW. C.Jr, A multidisciplinary approach to reducing morbidity and operative blood loss during resection of carotid body tumor. Surgical Gynecology and Obstetrics, 1989, 168, 166–170.
22.
WardP. H.LiuC.VinuelaF., Embolization: An adjunctive measure for removal of carotid body tumors. Laryngoscope, 1988, 98, 1287–1291.
23.
LaMuragliaG. M.FabianR. L.BrewsterD. C., The current surgical management of carotid body paragangliomas. Journal of Vascular Surgery, 1992, 15, 1038–1045.
24.
DuBoisJ.KelleyW.McMenaminP.MacbethG. A., Bilateral carotid body tumors managed with preoperative embolization: A case report and review. Journal of Vascular Surgery, 1987, 5, 648–650.
25.
LitleV. R.ReillyL. M.RamosT. K., Preoperative embolization of carotid body tumors: When is it appropriate?Annals of Vascular Surgery, 1996, 10, 464–468.
26.
KernJ. A.TribbleC. G.CassadaD. C., Does preoperative embolization improve the operative management of carotid body and associated tumors?Contemporary Surgery, 1993, 43, 297–300.
27.
MitchellD. C.ClyneC. A. C., Chemodectomas of the neck: The response to radiotherapy. British Journal of Surgery, 1985, 72, 903–905.
