title: [Carotid body paraganglioma in a teenager. Case report].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Paragangliomas of the head and neck are neuroendocrine tumors. They have a low incidence (0.6%), are generally benign, have a poorly defined etiology, and multiple factors have been associated with their origin. Humans and other species living at high altitudes (>2000 m above sea level) are subjected to a relatively chronic hypoxia and there is a high prevalence of the development of carotid body hyperplasia and eventually paragangliomas. This disease is usually seen in patients in their 50s and in their 30s if there is a family history.
  
  
  METHODS
  We present the case of a 16 year-old female with acute pharyngitis and growing tumor located on the left side of the neck, without symptoms. A duplex Doppler ultrasound showed a solid nodular lesion on the left carotid bifurcation. A left lateral cervicotomy was performed, finding a highly vascularized tumor of 4 × 3 × 3 cm involving the common carotid from its middle third, the internal carotid up to the cranial base, and the external carotid to its upper third, and intimately related to the trachea, esophagus and cervical spine. The tumor was completely resected and the histopathological analysis corroborated the presence of paragangliomas.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The publication of this case is relevant and of clinical interest due to the uncommon age of presentation and the fact that it should be considered as a diagnostic possibility.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Angiología y Cirugía Vascular, Unidad Médica de Alta Especialidad, Hospital de Especialidades del Centro Médico Nacional de Occidente, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social. Guadalajara, Jalisco. México.
authors.forename: María Elisa
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: López-Vázquez
authors.affiliation: >Departamento de Angiología y Cirugía Vascular, Unidad Médica de Alta Especialidad, Hospital de Especialidades del Centro Médico Nacional de Occidente, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social. Guadalajara, Jalisco. México.
authors.forename: Francisco Javier
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Llamas-Macías
authors.affiliation: >Departamento de Angiología y Cirugía Vascular, Unidad Médica de Alta Especialidad, Hospital de Especialidades del Centro Médico Nacional de Occidente, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social. Guadalajara, Jalisco. México.
authors.forename: César
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Nuño-Escobar
authors.affiliation: Unidad de Investigación Médica en Epidemiologia Clínica, Unidad Médica de Alta Especialidad, Hospital de Especialidades del Centro Médico Nacional de Occidente, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social. Guadalajara, Jalisco. México.
authors.forename: Alejandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: González-Ojeda
authors.affiliation: Unidad de Investigación Médica en Epidemiologia Clínica, Unidad Médica de Alta Especialidad, Hospital de Especialidades del Centro Médico Nacional de Occidente, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social. Guadalajara, Jalisco. México. clotildefuen@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Clotilde
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fuentes-Orozco
authors.affiliation: Unidad de Investigación Médica en Epidemiologia Clínica, Unidad Médica de Alta Especialidad, Hospital de Especialidades del Centro Médico Nacional de Occidente, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social. Guadalajara, Jalisco. México.
authors.forename: Michel Dassaejv
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Macías-Amezcua
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D017668:Age of Onset; D000531:Altitude; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000473:pathology; D002345:Carotid Body Tumor / Q000145:classification / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003389:Cranial Nerve Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D003391:Cranial Nerves / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D004198:Disease Susceptibility; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D000860:Hypoxia / Q000150:complications; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D010612:Pharyngitis / Q000150:complications; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000209:etiology; D019291:Skull Base / Q000473:pathology; D036542:Tomography, Spiral Computed; D047368:Tumor Burden; D014463:Ultrasonography
keywords: Paraganglioma; carotid body; cuerpo carotídeo