title: Five-year follow-up of a patient with bilateral carotid body tumors after unilateral surgical resection.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Carotid body tumors are rare, highly vascularized neoplasms that arise from the paraganglia located at the carotid bifurcation. Surgery is the only curative treatment. However, treatment of bilateral carotid body tumors represents a special challenge due to potential neurovascular complications.
  
  
  METHODS
  We present the therapeutic management of a 34-year-old woman with bilateral carotid body tumors. The patient underwent surgical resection of the largest tumor. It was not possible to resect the tumor without sacrificing the ipsilateral vagal nerve. Due to unilateral vagal palsy, we decide to withhold all invasive therapy and to observe contralateral tumor growth with serial imaging studies. The patient is free of disease progression 5 years later.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Treatment of bilateral CBTs should focus on preservation of the quality of life rather than on cure of the disease. In patients with previous contralateral vagal palsies, the choice between surgery and watchful waiting is a balance between the natural potential morbidity and the predictable surgical morbidity. Therefore, to avoid bilateral cranial nerve deficits, these patients may be observed until tumor growth is determined, and, if needed, treated by radiation therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Beylikdüzü Kolan Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Tolga
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Demir
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Acute Cardiovascular Hospital, Izmir, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ibrahim
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Uyar
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Medicana International Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Hale Bolgi
authors.initials: HB
authors.lastname: Demir
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Beylikdüzü Kolan Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Mazlum
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sahin
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Istanbul University, Istanbul Medical Faculty, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Gokcen
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gundogdu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000792:Angiography; D001706:Biopsy; D017536:Carotid Artery, Common / Q000601:surgery*; D002345:Carotid Body Tumor / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*; D003952:Diagnostic Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D011788:Quality of Life; D013997:Time Factors; D014656:Vascular Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods*