Surgical treatment of carotid body tumor: case report and literature review

Carotid body tumors (CBT) are rare chemical receptor tumors. We report nine cases of CBT who were diagnosed at our center during 2004 to 2008 with a literature review. Of these nine patients, eight underwent complete resection, one received palliative resection due to the malignant nature of the tumor, and the other one refused surgery. No perioperative mortality and stroke occurred. During a mean follow up of 2.2 years, no deaths related to CBT occurred. Surgical treatment for CBT is relatively safe. The surgeon should be careful to maintain the integrity of carotid artery, and prevent cerebral ischemia and cranial nerve injuries in order to improve outcome.