Giant malignant carotid body tumor in a 40 years old woman: a case report from Gondar University Hospital.

The Carotid Body Tumor (CBT) should be considered in the differential diagnosis of any patient with an anterior lateral neck mass (mass in the region of carotid artery bifurcation) even though it is a rare neoplasm. Physical findings that support the diagnosis include pulsation without expansile palpation and the ability to move the mass from side to side but not vertically. The diagnosis is supported further by radiological procedures that may include US, CT, MRI and arteriography. Once the diagnosis is made, surgery is the principal treatment and the only curative modality but has inherent risks for hemorrhage and stroke for which the patient should be informed. Radiation therapy has been shown to be an alternative to surgery in certain patients and an adjunct to surgery in others. The internal carotid artery may need to be resected in order to remove the tumor. The surgeon needs to be prepared to employ intraoperative stump pressure manometry, to use intravascular shunts and be familiar with the several diagnostic and reconstructive vascular techniques relevant to this area, any of which may be needed to ensure adequate cerebral perfusion thereby reducing the risk of stroke and death that may attend simple ligation of the internal carotid artery. Regional anesthesia has proven benefit in carotid endarterectomy surgery. This technique may have a role in CBT surgery. In this paper we present an encounter with a giant malignant carotid body tumor and a brief review of CBTs in the English literature.