[Intrathoracic chemodectomas. A report on four observations (author's transl)]

Intrathoracic chemodectomas are extremely rare tumours, the number, published up to the present time being less than 50. We wish to report here four personal cases, all resected. The diagnosis was never made before surgery but solely by histopathology. The course was benign in two cases and malignant with slow progression in one case and malignant with rapid progression in the other. On the basis of these four cases, a general review is undertaken of this particular site on the basis of publications in the literature.