Abstract
Within a population of 1150 vascular patients only a small percentage of the correct preoperative diagnosis of carotid body tumors (synonym chemodectoma) was found (2 patients). Before being treated by a specially trained vascular surgery team 8 patients did undergo inadequate operations. These were performed with high risk of local complications, even though by simple use of intravenous angiography (digital subtraction technique) the typical intercarotid widening with rich vascular filling could have led to the correct diagnosis.
Malignancy was detected in 1 case (pulmonary metastasis). In 2 cases concomitant tumors of the jugular vein were seen.
Since the blood supply from carotid body tumors is derived nearly exclusively from the external carotid artery, interruption of blood flow in this vessel simplifies the surgical approach substantially.
Ligature of the external carotid artery (5 patients) and interposition of venous grafts (10 patients) were employed as surgical therapies.
In 1 case extirpation of a larger tumor (18 x 11 x 9 cm) extending from the skull base and almost reaching the left clavicular bone was successfully carried out. At present there is no other satisfactory therapeutic approach to benign carotid body tumors available. For this reason surgical intervention, even in far advanced stages, is always justified.
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