title: Imaging findings of malignant bilateral carotid body tumors: A case report and review of the literature.
abstract: Carotid body tumors (CBTs) are a rare type of extra-adrenal paraganglioma, which originate from the carotid body. A 29-year-old woman was admitted to the Department of Head and Neck Surgery, Beijing Tongren Hospital (Capital Medical University, Beijing, China) with hoarseness of the throat, which had progressively worsened over seven months. The patient had a family history of CBTs. Computed tomography and ultrasound imaging revealed multiple well-enhanced masses located at the bilateral carotid bifurcation and in the left parapharyngeal space. Surgery and pathological examination confirmed that the patient had developed regional lymph node metastasis. Significantly enhanced multiple pulmonary and hepatic lesions indicated that the patient had also developed distal metastasis. A genetic analysis performed on the family members of the patient revealed that the family carried a mutated succinate dehydrogenase D gene. In the present study, a systemic review of the literature indicated that extra vigilance is required in familial forms of CBT, in order to increase the standard of treatment for CBT patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100050, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Han
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lv
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Ministry of Education, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100730, P.R. China; Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Fuxing Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100038, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Xiaohong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic Ultrasound, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100730, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Shuai
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100730, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Suping
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cui
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Fuxing Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100038, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Yunlong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Bai
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100050, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Zhenchang
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wang
keywords: carotid body tumor; neoplasm metastasis; paragangliomas; radiology