A retrospective study in management of carotid body tumour

We report our experience of the management of 53 patients with 57 carotid body tumours from two units of oral and maxillofacial surgery in China between 1995 and 2006. Digital subtraction angiography was used most often for the confirmation of diagnosis and preoperative assessment. Fifty-one patients with 55 tumours had their tumours resected and 2 patients had radiotherapy. Of the 55 excised tumours, 14 were resected successfully without injury to the carotid artery, 25 were resected with the external carotid artery, 5 had arteriorrhaphy, and 11 resulted in sacrificing the unilateral internal carotid artery (ICA). Six patients had interposition reconstruction of the ICA. Immediately after operation 14 patients (27%) had neurological damage, which was permanent in 3 (6%), and 2 (4%) developed stroke. There were no deaths. Once the ICA is resected, vascular reconstruction is recommended to minimise neurological morbidity.