Objective: To discuss the diagnosis and surgical treatment of carotid body tumour.
Methods: Thirty-eight cases (41 carotid body tumours) admitted from 1983 to 2002 were analyzed retrospectively.
Results: All patients were examined by ultrasound and angiography routinely before operation. The diagnostic coincidence rates of ultrasound and angiography are 95% and 98% respectively. Thirty-eight tumours were resected successfully. Twelve patients underwent external carotid artery severed, internal carotid artery repaired and tumour resected operation. Eleven patients underwent external carotid artery severed and tumour resection. Eight patients underwent tumour simple resected operation. Six patients underwent external carotid artery severed and internal carotid artery reconstruction. One patient underwent tumour resection, while common, external, and internal carotid artery were partially resected.
Conclusions: For suspected carotid body tumour patients, ultrasound and angiography reconstruction of carotid artery should be applied routinely before operation. The early stage and one stage tumour resected operation as well as internal carotid artery reconstruction are the key factors of decreasing operative complication rate.