Surgical treatment of carotid body tumours.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate our results of the treatment of patients with carotid body tumours.


METHODS
Retrospective study.


METHODS
University hospital, Greece.


METHODS
17 patients operated on for a carotid body tumour during the past 20 years.


METHODS
Hospital mortality and morbidity, long-term outcome.


RESULTS
3 patients had temporary cranial nerve lesions postoperatively, all of which resolved within three months. One patient developed a severe stroke and died seven days postoperatively. During follow-up that ranged from 7 months to 20 years, two patients died of unrelated causes. 5 patients were lost to follow up, and the remaining 10 were doing well with no signs of recurrence at the time of writing.


CONCLUSIONS
Excision of a carotid body tumour is recommended at the time of initial diagnosis in good-risk patients to avoid the difficulty of subsequent excision of an enlarging and highly vascular tumour with possible encasement of the carotid artery.
Bastounis
E
E
First Department of Surgery, University of Athens Medical School, Laikon General Hospital, Greece.
Maltezos
C
C
Pikoulis
E
E
Leppäniemi
A K
AK
Klonaris
C
C
Papalambros
E
E
D000328:Adult; D002345:Carotid Body Tumor / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006115:Greece / Q000453:epidemiology; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome