title: Carotid body tumors, inheritance, and a high incidence of associated cervical paragangliomas.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Current experience with carotid body tumors suggesting a high prevalence of associated cervical paragangliomas prompted this review.
  
  
  METHODS
  An 8-year retrospective study of patients with carotid body tumors was undertaken, detailing presentation, diagnosis, and treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eleven patients harboring 17 carotid body tumors were discovered. All patients had a neck mass. Seven patients (64%) had bilateral carotid body tumors. Six (55%) reported a positive family history-4 were first-generation relatives, 5 had bilateral tumors, and 3 had other head and neck paragangliomas. Angiography documented 4 associated vagal and 2 glomus jugulare paragangliomas in addition to the carotid body tumors. Precise surgical care limited blood loss to an average of 590 cc. The carotid artery was repaired during 5 resections (29%). Cranial nerve injury occurred in 3 cases, all following vagal body or glomus jugulare resection. Every patient is currently alive, stroke free, and functioning without major disability.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients with carotid body tumors have a propensity for multiple head and neck paragangliomas. Angiography is diagnostic. The need for associated paraganglioma resection dramatically increases the risk of cranial nerve injury.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Indiana University Medical Center, Indianapolis 46202, USA.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gardner
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dalsing
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Weisberger
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sawchuk
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Miyamoto
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000792:Angiography; D002345:Carotid Body Tumor / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000235:genetics* / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010235:Paraganglioma / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery; D010375:Pedigree; D016896:Treatment Outcome