Recurrent carotid body tumors: embolization as a treatment option

We report a clinical case where transcatheter embolization was selected as the primary treatment for a large recurrent carotid body tumor

A 55 year-old female presented with a painful left cervical mass, with progressive growth, for the past 12 months. She complained of jaw stiffness, odynophagia and dysphonia. She had a former history of bilateral carotid body tumor resection. The patient underwent carotid ultrasound examination that showed a recurrent left carotid body tumor with 7x5 cm in dimension, and occlusion of the left internal carotid artery. Magnetic resonance imaging confirmed the presence of a Shamblin type III tumor. The patient underwent transcatheter embolization of the tumor with 300-500 µm and 500-700 µm Bead-Block®. At 1 year of follow-up, the patient was found asymptomatic.

The carotid body is located at the bifurcation of the common carotid artery. With increased size, carotid body tumors can induce significant symptoms and are usually detected by clinical examination. Confirmation of diagnosis is usually given by vascular ultrasound. For highly symptomatic, recurrent and frequently unresectable tumors--in patients unfit for surgery--transcatheter embolization can also be used as an effective palliative treatment.