| Abstract: | The clinicopathologic findings in 90 cases of carotid body tumors seen at the Mayo Clinic from 1931 through 1966 were compared with those in 500 reported cases in the literature. In the 90 cases reviewed, there were 62 men and 28 women.In 20 cases surgery had been done elsewhere; 70 were operated on at our facilities, with total excision in 49 including 1 case of bilateral tumors. The overall surgical mortality was 5.7%, usually related to carotid arterial damage or ligation. There were no tumor recurrences, although cervical node metastasis was noted in one patient and spinal metastasis in another.A classification was suggested for future surgical cases. Group 1 tumors are relatively small and minimally attached to the carotid vessels. Surgical excision usually can be carried out without difficulty. Group 2 tumors are usually larger and show moderate arterial attachment. These tumors are amenable to careful surgical removal. Group 3 tumors are usually large and compress the carotids. Here the tumor must be approached with great care and vessel replacement should be considered. |
