CAROTID BODY TUMOR: SURVEY OF 97 PATIENTS

Background-Carotid body tumor is not a common disease but it should be considered in the differential diagnosis of neck masses at the mandibular angle. Whithout a correct diagnosis the surgeon unexpectedly encounters leading to a fruitless termination in 23.7% of cases. Methods-In this study, medical records of 97 patients with carotid body tumor were reviewed retrospectively. These patients had been referred to the vascular surgery division in a teaching hospital and one of the private hospitals in Tehran from November 1985 to July 2001. Results- Male to female ratio was 1: 2 and the mean age of the patients at the time of presentation was 40 years (range: 10 - 75 years). The most common complaints of the patients at first visit included: neck mass (100%), discomfort in the neck (13.4%), dizziness (4.1%), palpitation (3.1%), hypertension (2.06%), and hoarseness (3.1%). The tumor was bilateral in five patients (5.1%). The mean interval between onset of symptoms and the first visit was 4.6 years. The size of the neck mass was less than 5 cm in 60.8% of cases and greater than 5 cm in 39.2% of cases. The mass was excised in all patients, with ligation of the external carotid artery in 10.3% of cases and ligation of the internal carotid artery and graft replacement in 5.1% of cases with no postoperative consequences. The final pathologic diagnosis included paraganglioma (86.6%), schwannoma (11.3%), and mesenchymoma (2.06%). Three cases (3.1%) were malignant paraganglioma. Conclusion- Many of our patients are referred in late stages with large tumors. However, following a successful resection, complete cure will ensued with no further recurrence.